Suspect drowns en route to scene of crime

Police in Ssezibwa Region are investigating the circumstances under which a handcuffed suspected robber drowned in Lake Victoria as detectives were taking him to reconstruct the crime scene.

The deceased has been identified as George Waidanga, 32, a resident of Tukuru Village in Tukuru Parish, Najja Sub County in Buikwe District.

Mr Stephen Wadada, a brother of the deceased, says Waidanga was arrested with some other suspects over the theft of 100 litres of fuel last week, but while in a boat together with three armed detectives, en route to Zzinga Island in Bugaya Sub County, Buvuma District, he reportedly jumped into the water. The incident happened on Saturday evening.

“The deceased was handcuffed and we are wondering how he managed to wrestle three armed police officers and drowned,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.

The deceased’s body surfaced on the water on Sunday and was handed over to the relatives for burial on Tuesday.

Waidanga had multiple cases related to theft at police and according to Mr John Baptist Sserwanja, the chairperson of the Bugaya Sub County, this could have prompted him to end his life.

“Sometimes hardcore criminals commit suicide and it is possible that he chose to throw himself in the water, but we are leaving it to the police to do their investigations,” he said.

Ssezibwa Police Spokesperson, Ms Hellen Butoto, said further investigations are underway to establish what exactly caused Waidanga’s death.

“A case of drowning was registered at Bugaya Police station, but since the family insists that there could have been a foul play on the part of our detectives, we are going to carry out further investigations to establish the truth,” he said.

Before Waidanga’s family questioned the circumstances in which he died, police had earlier indicated that the suspect died while in cells.

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