New Vision (Kampala)
Steven Candia and Eddie Ssejjoba
3 November 2009
Kampala — THE Police are investigating the circumstances under which Teddy Cheeye, a former director in the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), got involved in the kidnap and extortion of a Kampala businessman two weeks ago.
The thugs, posing as security operatives attached to ISO and the Police Rapid Response Unit (RRU), are said to have 'arrested' David Senfuka on trumped up charges of murder and child sacrifice.
After torturing him and extorting sh25m to drop the charges, they drove him to the parking of Cheeye's office.
Moments later, the Police said, Cheeye telephoned the RRU head offices urging them to come and pick up Senfuka.
The victim was reportedly seated in a Toyota Prado belonging to Cheeye. When contacted on phone yesterday, the former ISO boss declined to comment.
Cheeye was in April convicted of embezzlement of Global Fund money and forgery. He walked out of jail in early August after depositing sh60m for his bail, pending the hearing of his case in the Court of Appeal.
The Police said Senfuka was kidnapped on October 22. Four men, including two former soldiers, raided his home and picked him on a raft of charges.
The kidnappers, who also included a soldier still in active service, claimed they had orders from their bosses.
"We would like to know under what circumstances Senfuka ended up at Cheeye's office and how come it was Cheeye who had to inform the Police," said Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba while addressing the press at the Kireka RRU headquarters.
Three of the suspects allegedly involved in the scam have been arrested. They were identified by the Police as Corporal Moshen Ssenyonga, Private Tony Kamali Koli and George Kakande Gadafi.
The fourth suspect, who Police identified as Private Ashraf Mugisha, is on the run.
The Police said Ssenyonga is still in active service, while Kamali and Mugisha had been dismissed from the army after being convicted for robbery.
"Kakande has recently been in Luzira over aggravated robbery and was released on bail on September 22," said Nabakooba.
"Mugisha was dismissed after being convicted and sentenced for robbery. He was released in September."
The thugs are said to have first demanded for $2m but later settled for sh25m, which Senfuka managed to raise through friends. They also grabbed sh1m they found in his house.
All along, the thugs who had bundled Senfuka and his driver in the Prado, kept driving from one place to another while maintaining contact with one of Senfuka's friends on phone.
It is only after they got the money that they drove to Cheeye's office, the Police said.
The three suspects were part of the 18 thugs netted in various operations in Kampala, Wakiso and Kisoro districts over the last one month.
In the operations, the Police recovered 15 stolen computer cartridges, two stolen motorcycles, 20 tyres, three firearms, 10 rounds of ammunition, a pair of military uniforms, a grenade and sh300,000.
Of the suspects, seven were arrested in connection with a September burglary at a firm dealing in computers on Nasser Road.
The thugs made off with over 1,000 cartridges valued at over sh210m, of which only 15 were recovered.
Those arrested included Isaac Wakabi who the Police said at one time contested for the Kyabazingaship in Busoga.
Also arrested was Bob Ayo, a private security guard who joined Falcon Security after only four days of training and disappeared with an SAR rifle on his first deployment, according to the Police.
Among the suspects are also two men said to be behind the theft of motorcycles in the city.
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