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Police accuse NGO workers of breaking into own offices
A safe that was broken into at the Human Rights Network in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb yesterday by unknown thugs. PHOTO BY Wandera Ouwa
What you need to know:
Complaint. The police say when they start interrogating NGO workers, their bosses are quick to stop the investigations, claiming that their staff are being harassed by the police.
KAMPALA.
The police have said employees of non-governmental organisations (NG0s) are responsible for the rising burglaries in NGO, according to investigations they have so far conducted.
While responding to queries raised by the civil society organisations following the burglary at the Human Rights Network in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb yesterday, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango, said investigations which have been conducted following the break into Action Aid Offices, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative and the Anti-Corruption Coalition of Uganda have shown that the crimes are perpetrated by staff within the NGOs.
He said when the police start interrogating them, the bosses are quick to stop the investigations, claiming that their staff are being harassed by the police.
“Various NGOs came and asked for the preliminary report although it was not conclusive but the investigations are leading to inside jobs and when we further interrogate the workers, the bosses say police is harassing the workers,” he said in a telephone interview.
Asked to ascertain whether he is familiar with such a lead, Mr Alfred Nuamanya, the deputy executive director of the NGO Forum, said he was only familiar with an incident when the security guards attached to Action Aid reportedly aided the theft in the organisation’s Kansanga offices, arguing that even if it is an insider job, police have the duty to expose whoever it is carrying out the crimes.
“Private security firms are supervised by the police and NGOs are public institutions which receive money and donations on behalf of the public. No CEO of a company has the right to steal public property and even if it was an inside job, it is the role of the police to bring the culprits to book,” he said in a telephone interview.
IT equipment estimated at close to Shs200m was stolen by unknown thugs when they broke into the Human Rights Network offices.
un concerned
Addressing the press yesterday, Mr Margaret Sekajja, the UN special rapporteur on human rights, raised concern about the rising wave of crime targeting human rights and anti-corruption NGOs in the country, saying they are seeking audience with the Inspector General of Police so as to find a way forward.
No suspect has so far been arrested in connection with yesterday morning
