Police officer shoots money lender dead over Shs2m loan
Decteives seal off Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala after a policeman shot and killed a money lender (of Indian nationality) at the latter’s office at Raja Chambers. PHOTO/ DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
Police Constable Ivan Wabwire went on rampage and shot the money lender after being told he owed the service provider Shs2.1 million
Police in Kampala are hunting for one of their officers wanted for murder after he allegedly shot and killed a money lender at Raja Chambers along Parliamentary Avenue, Kampala.
Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango identified the shooter as No.67029 Police Constable (PC) Ivan Wabwire.
The victim of the 1pm shooting was identified as Uttam Bhandari, an Indian national and the director of TFS Financial Services.
“The client who is also a police officer called PC Ivan Wabwire first came yesterday (Thursday) and met the director of TFS financial services to verify how much he owed the company,” Mr Onyango said.
The police officer has reportedly been servicing two loans since 2020.The first loan was coded (deducted directly from his salary) while the second one was not.
A police ambulance at the scene where the money lender was shot from. PHOTO/ STEPHEN OTAGE
“He could just come and pay whenever he got the money for the second loan. They calculated and told him he owed the company Shs2, 130,000. Yesterday, he said the bank where they are paying his salary from wanted the calculations so that they can offset all the loan and see how they could progress with him. He had returned today (Thursday) for further verification," Mr Onyango explained.
When he was told the amount, he got incensed and reportedly started arguing, dismissing the figure claiming that it was inflated.
"One of the workers who was inside said the officer first shot at the CCTV cameras inside the office. Everybody who was inside took off. We still don't know what happened thereafter. We have called our CCTV team to come and retrieve the footage and analyse to see what happened," Mr Onyango said.
Friends and relatives of the deceased money lender pictured at the scene of the shooting. PHOTO/ STEPHEN OTAGE
After the shooting, PC Wabwire who is currently on the run jumped on a boda boda bike and rushed to Central Police Station in Kampala where he abandoned the killer gun, an AK47.
However, police said he will be tracked and arrested.
"Uganda is very small when you have committed a crime. He will be got at any time. It's very unfortunate that an officer of that caliber would resort to shooting instead of resolving the matter amicably,” the police publicist added.
Bhandari’s body was conveyed to Mulago city mortuary as investigations continue.
Bhandari’s shooting comes just days after State Miniser for Labour Col (rtd) Charles Okello Engola was shot by his bodyguard, Pte Wilson Sabiiti at his home in Kyanja, a Kampala suburb on May 2, 2023. Pte Sabiiti committed suicide after the shooting.
