Prime
MP robbed of Shs100m polls cash
Mr Peter Ogwang (Pictured) is said to have left the money in his car under the watch of his bodyguard
What you need to know:
Stolen. Mr Peter Ogwang is said to have left the money in his car under the watch of his bodyguard at a washing bay in Kampala
Kampala.
Police have arrested three people, including two mechanics and a security officer attached to State House following the theft of Shs100 million belonging to an MP.
The three suspects are currently detained by police Flying Squad Unit that is investigating the theft case. According to a source, Mr Peter Ogwang, the Youth MP for eastern region, received Shs100 million from the NRM Secretariat in Kololo last Saturday.
The source said Mr Ogwang put the money in the bag and drove with it to a garage in Nakawa Division, Kampala, where his car was repaired and thereafter proceeded to a washing bay in the same area.
At the washing bay, the MP is said to have locked the car, told his bodyguard to keep an eye on it and left. However, the bodyguard also left to watch an English Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham.
When the MP returned, he opened the car and found the bag missing. He reported to police that started investigating the matter but the money hasn’t yet been recovered.
Mr Ogwang said the money was meant for the NRM grassroots campaigns in eastern region.
Police detectives went to the garage and arrested two mechanics, who serviced the MP’s car. They also arrested the MP’s bodyguard. The trio, though, deny stealing the money.
Relatives of some of the suspects said their loved ones have been honest in their career and have never had any cases of indiscipline at their workplace.
When Daily Monitor contacted Kampala Metropolitan police spokesman Patrick Onyango about the arrests, he confirmed the theft saying three people are helping detectives with investigations.
“The theft was constructed which means that someone could have connived to open the car when the MP was away. We haven’t yet succeeded in recovering the money. Hopefully, we shall get it after carrying out searches and interrogations,” Mr Onyango said yesterday.
When contacted for comment, Mr Ogwang also confirmed the incident. “It’s true there was a case of theft between my bodyguard and two mechanics. They were arrested last Saturday. But this was personal money I got from my private businesses,” he said. He added: “What I know money was picked from me. I don’t want to tell the whole world. Police are investigating. Let them do their work. That’s all.”
When we contacted the NRM treasurer, Ms Rose Namayanja, she said no member of the party have been given money. “We have not given out any money to our members, especially the ones involved in campaigns, we have not,” Ms Namayanja said.
NRM is expected to hold primaries for mayoral and parliamentary aspirants on October 26.
Monetised polls
The commercialisation of politics has been cited a factor which impedes women and minority groups from participating in electoral politics even when they have all the other capabilities. A study commissioned by Alliance for Campaign Finance Monitoring, a loose coalition of 14 Civil Society Organisations and released in January this year, found that MPs are compelled to meet a host of financially related demands by their constituents, leaving them highly indebted.
In the study, 88 per cent of 146 directly elected MPs told researchers of the survey that visiting their constituency is very expensive as they are often asked by constituents to assist them financially.
