Police in the Mt Moroto region have raised concern over the increasing number of criminal cases that are reported and then abandoned by complainants. Edirisa Kyeyune, the Mt Moroto Regional Police Commander, said it has become common for people in Karamoja to report cases and then disappear, leaving officers stranded.
Kyeyune said several case files are left at police stations with no complainant to follow up, which hampers investigations and file management. He said police are sometimes forced to release suspects and drop files because complainants fail to provide substantive information.
“We have found out that the complainant only comes to police to report the case so that they get a reference number, then they go back to their community to seek settlement of the case, with the backup of the reference. If things fail, then they come back to police,” Kyeyune explained.
He said the practice is more common with defilement cases, where police reference numbers are used to scare suspects into abiding by the complainant’s terms to escape arrest. He noted that such cases remain unfollowed until police decide to close the files.
Kyeyune urged complainants to provide witnesses to support their cases up to court level and warned the public against handling capital offences such as murder and defilement at community level.
However, some community members who spoke to URN said they are discouraged from following up on cases because police often release suspects and extort money. Albert Achila said they report cases and have suspects arrested, only to find them released shortly after.
Achila cited a case of an old man arrested for defilement in Loreng Sub-county in Nabilatuk, who was handed over to Nakapiripirit Central Police Station but was found out of cells after only three days.
He said no one explained why the suspect was released, which discouraged them from following up. Responding to the claims, Kyeyune said every suspect has a right to free police bond except those with capital offences.
He said a suspect released on bond is not totally free as investigations continue, but the community does not understand that it is mandatory for police to grant bond. Meanwhile, Charles Ejamu, the Officer in Charge of the Child and Family Protection Unit at Nabilatuk Central Police Station, said delayed reporting of cases frustrates investigations.
Ejamu said cases like rape, murder and defilement are often reported late after community negotiations fail, by which time suspects have fled.
He said when murder occurs, the community considers burying first before reporting to police, which hinders investigations. Ejamu also raised concern over tampering with crime scenes, citing instances where communities rush to attack drivers involved in road accidents instead of allowing the law to take its course-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
