Ministry vehicle used in robbery, rape crimes

Police have arrested a driver in the Ministry of Health in connection with the aggravated robbery and the rape of a female victim in Wakiso District last month.

The police also impounded a vehicle belonging to the ministry, which the suspect reportedly used while committing the crimes.

The incident in question took place in Kajjansi on Entebbe Road on May 26.

The suspect and his accomplices are currently detained in an undisclosed police facility.

In an interview with the Monitor yesterday, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said the victim is a Somali national.

“The driver of the said motor vehicle was a former robber [who] got a job with the Ministry of Health. He, however, continued with his robbery activities whereby when his former group members were going for robbery missions, they would call him to transport them,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Onyango said yesterday.

The group has been terrorising the public in Makindye-Ssabagabo, Kajjansi and Makindye Division but had eluded the police.

On the fateful day, the suspects broke into the victim’s house and detained her. They gathered and packed several electronic items and other household equipment.

“When it was time to leave, the stolen items were too heavy to carry. So they took the woman to the parking lot and ordered her to open her vehicle, a Toyota Spacio. They raped her inside her vehicle before loading their loot into it,” a source, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, said.

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The suspects forced the victim to drive them to a specific location.

 “Fortunately, as she was about to park, she saw the ministry vehicle at a distance and was able to read the licence number and memorise it,” the source said.

At the location, she was ordered to lie down and face the ground as the suspects transferred their loot from her car to the ministry vehicle, which was parked a short distance away.

One of the robbers stayed behind to keep an eye on her.

The ministry vehicle then drove off with the rest of the robbers, while the one who had been watching the victim ordered her to enter her car and leave.

Mr Onyango said when the woman got home, she immediately called the police and officers were sent to the crime scene.

“The police officers [drove past] the Ministry of Health vehicle [on] the way [to the victim’s but did not suspect that it had been used in the crime]. That is how the thugs escaped from the crime scene,” Mr Onyango said.

While recording her statement, the victim gave the officers the licence number of the vehicle that she had seen.

Crime Intelligence officers then used the number to trace the vehicle and arrested the driver.

Upon interrogation, the driver denied breaking into the victim’s house but admitted that he knew the culprits and that he only transported the items that were loaded into his vehicle.

The police detectives used the driver to lure his accomplices using a fake robbery job.

“When he called them, they responded positively and agreed to meet at one point where they were arrested and taken to police,” Mr Onyango said.

“One of the robbers admitted to have participated in the crime and even named the vehicle (of the Ministry of Health) they used for taking their loot.”

When the Monitor contacted the Ministry of Health spokesman, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, for a comment, he said they had been trying to reach the driver of the vehicle in vain.

 “We are going to get in touch with the Uganda Police as they investigate the matter. The driver’s known phone numbers are currently unreachable. Our transport office will investigate to establish more details,” Mr Ainebyoona said.

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