Two policemen remanded over gun stolen for collateral in Bulambuli

Two police officers attached to Lusha Police Post in Lusha Sub-county in Bulambuli District have been remanded to Mutufu Prisons in Sironko District on allegations of gun theft.

The pair includes Sgt Wilson Weere, the In-Charge of Lusha Police and Corporal Henry Mangusha.

On Tuesday, they appeared before Bulambuli District Grade One Magistrate Annet Namankati who remanded them until May 9, 2024.  

Sgt Were was charged with two counts of theft of a firearm and neglect of duty while the corporal was charged with two counts of failing to take custody of a firearm and neglect of duty.

Earlier, there was speculation that Sgt Weere had reportedly mortgaged the gun for a loan of Shs700,000 from a money lender residents only identified as Sande. 

“The said gun was presented as collateral by Sgt Weere to Sande. We intervened and recovered the gun from Sande,” a Bulambuli District local leader who preferred anonymity told Monitor.

But Elgon Police spokesperson Rogers Taitika said “if found guilty, the suspects will bear individual responsibility.”

“We are investigating the theft of the gun and neglect by the officers. It's not true that the gun had been mortgaged [collateral security],” Taitika told Monitor on Thursday.

He said preliminary investigations indicate that Sgt Weere connived with yet to be identified people to steal a gun from Corporal Mangusha’s home for unknown reasons.

“Cpl Mangusha picked a firearm from the police post and left it at his home where it was stolen and according to the findings, Sgt Weere was in the know,” Taitika observed.

However, Elgon Regional Police Commander John Otim Bosco disclosed that the SMG Rifle with about 30 rounds of ammunition was recovered on April 23 2024, in Lusha Sub-county, Bulambuli District.

"We engaged with members of the public to help us and recover the gun because we knew the gun could have been taken away by nearby people," he said.