Police of Arua District have in detention two suspects who were arrested for attempting to bribe a Criminal Investigations Officer to kill a murder case.
The duo was allegedly attempting to bribe Detective ASP Japhar Kalinaki, OC CID officer of Vura Police Station, with Shs2 million to kill a murder case.
According to police, the suspects of whom one is a wife of a murder suspect called Innocent Onzima, appeared at police on Sunday, April 14t, and handed cash to the CID officer asking he sets free Onzima.
Police report indicate that on December 17, 2023, a murder case was registered in which a one Alido Arijole was murdered by his brother called Innocent Onzima and other clan members, that his house was demolished and all his properties were burnt by the same people.
"After killing him, his body was dumped inside his pit latrine. They accused him of being rich," reads part of the report.
Josephine Angucia, the regional police spokesperson for West Nile, said that after the committing the offences, all the suspects allegedly escaped to hide in DR Congo but police continued to pursue the case.
She revealed that suspects, while in hiding, received information that OC CID Detective Moses Maloba was transferred, and that a new OC CID Detective ASP Kalinaki was brought, so they decided to come back to their homes from DR Congo.
However, when the new OC CID received information about this case file and the suspects being back home from DR Congo, he ordered their arrest.
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On Friday, April 12 at around 4pm, Onzima - who allegedly commanded the clan members to kill the deceased - was arrested and detained at Vurra Central Police Station at Odumi.
"On Sunday, the two suspects of bribery came to the station and entered into the office of the current OC CID Arua, and handed over SHs2 million to him such that he kills the murder case against their relative Innocent Onzima and set him free," Angucia said.
This irked Detective Kalinaki, who ordered their arrest.
"A case of bribing a police officer on duty was registered under SD reference 16/14/04/2024.
Statements were obtained from the two suspects, as well as from witnesses. The Shs2 million was recovered and exhibited.
Their casefile was forwarded to Resident State Attorney and sanctioned accordingly.
They were taken to Arua court on Monday afternoon to answer to the offence of bribing a police officer.
Relatedly, the case file of murder was also sanctioned and the suspect one Innocent Onzima was also taken to Arua court to answer to the charge of murder.
Angucia further served a warning to the public saying that the arrest of the two who bribed police with money to kill a murder case should be a lesson that the police is a professional institution that does not encourage corruption.
