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Uganda: 17 Traffic Police Held Over Bribes
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New Vision (Kampala)
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Herbert Ssempogo
Kampala
TRAFFIC Police officers extort money from motorists and conceal it in their berets, armpits and private parts, it emerged yesterday.
A total of sh982,700 was recovered from 17 suspects rounded up in an impromptu operation by the Police's professional standards unit. One of them had 10 million Zimbabwe dollars, while another had Kenyan currency.
Unknown to the suspects, their activities were being monitored by a covert team from the unit, which arrested them.
The 17, several of them fresh recruits, are now in detention and being investigated for disrespectful conduct and extortion.
Unit chief John Nduguse yesterday said the officers were arrested in Kampala on Wednesday.
The swoop followed complaints from the public about the conduct of traffic Police officers in the capital.
"The Police officers are turning into prosecutors and judges while on duty. They charge motorists, receive the fine and the money ends up in their pockets," Nduguse told journalists at the Police headquarters in Kampala.
"We are cleaning our house. We do not condone corruption or any misconduct." The arrests, he added, were a result of intelligence and modern technology.
Since the unit was set up last year, over 909 cases of misconduct have been reported. Investigations into 464 others have been completed.
"Several Police officers have appeared in court, have been dismissed or are currently before the Police disciplinary committees," Nduguse explained.
He urged the public to help the force get back into "the line of professionalism".
The Police named the suspects as Nelson Kyamanywa, Martin Odelo, Benon Taremwa, Alfred Zinomuhangi, Robert Tusiime, and Asaph Ahimbisibwe.
Others held are James Okello, Celestine Turyahikayo, Tony Busolo, Constatine Ogutu, Emmy Mbonigaba, Stephen Baligeya, Charles Owachgiu, Josephine Kapule, Rosette Namamula, Juliet Ganda and Sanyu Mwajuma.
Dressed in Police uniforms, they were paraded before the press yesterday.
Acting commissioner of traffic and road safety, Steven Kasiima said the force had a policy of zero-tolerance on corruption.
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Police officers involved in similar activities in the Kampala suburbs of Kawempe and Wandegeya and in Lyantonde, on the Masaka-Mbarara road, were arrested, he noted.
The next target, he said, would be motorists who offer them bribes. "Even those bribing us will be arrested. We have done it before."
The Police recently held a motorist on the Kampala-Entebbe highway who offered Kasiima a sh20,000 bribe, while on duty.
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