Seven Masindi govt workers arrested over pouring salt in grader engine
Police officers from Masindi Municipality inspect the grader machine after salt was allegedly poured in its engine by government workers. PHOTO/STEVEN WANDERA
What you need to know:
- Authorities said the incident is possibly linked to internal conflicts among staff in the Masindi Municipality works department.
Police have arrested seven government workers Masindi Municipality workers over sabotaging a grader machine by pouring salt into its engine.
The grader is used to maintain the area road network and was parked at the Masindi Municipality yard when the incident allegedly occurred.
Among the detained are five municipal staff members from the works department and two security guards.
Albertine region police spokesperson Julius Allan Hakiza said the seven accused are currently held at Masindi Central Police station, adding that their arrests followed an intelligence-led crackdown.
“However, the identity of the suspects was concealed to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation,” according to him.
Masindi Municipality Mayor Ronald Businge Kyomuhendo revealed that they got information on Monday that some saboteurs had poured salt in the vehicle engine.
“Upon inspection, we discovered that the grader engine had salt, but its driver managed to start it even as the salt mixed within the engine,” he added.
Kyomuhendo suggested that the act is possibly linked to internal conflicts among staff in the works department. He called on police to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
Simon Peter Ochiti, the Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigations Department at Masindi Central Police Station, urged municipal staff to volunteer any information that could aid the investigation.
"It’s concerning that government employees would vandalize government property instead of safeguarding it. We have taken samples for examination and the grader has been secured as a crime scene to prevent tampering,” he noted.
Sanon Dhaala, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, said: "Replacing such equipment is challenging. If there are disagreements, they should not involve damaging government property. This lack of patriotism is unacceptable."
He added that he had also noticed poor maintenance practices on the graders and a preference for hiring new equipment rather than repairing existing ones.
