Palisa municipality Member of Parliament Samuel Otukol has been summoned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of police over beating a journalist.
Hon Otukol clobbered Emmanuel Bunya a photographer with the Anti Corruption Unit for allegedly taking his pictures after a court session relating to the MP’s alleged Corruption activities.
After the incident that happened on Friday 19th November 2021, the MP sped away but his two body guards were arrested and detained at Jinja Road Police Station.
On Monday, Otukol was summoned by Mr. Katto Tumuhimbise who signed the summons on behalf of the Director CID.
Otukol was asked to report to the CID headquarters on Tuesday November 23 at 10 am for statement recording.
Background
The MP was charged with theft and conspiracy to commit a felony in a Shs. 2bn scandal at the anti corruption court last Friday.
The Col Edith Nakalema led Anti Corruption Unit received a petition in February 2020, alleging Otukol Samuel alias Okello Samuel had connived with the accounting officers of two municipalities and three local governments of Apac, Jinja, Manafwa, Butebo and Namisindwa to swindle over sh. 2 billion employees’ money.
It is alleged the MP connived and colluded with the directors of different companies under the guise of loan deductions and stole from civil servants’ salaries.
By the help of the accounting officers, the ill-gotten money was invested in SACCOs and Private Companies such as United Development, SAMIX Ug.ltd and others at large.
When Otukol was arrested together with his group, they claimed that the money was to pay the loan arrears for the district teachers which was found not true after the investigations.
Commenting about the beating of the photographer, Col Nakalema said;”nothing would derail, or intimidate us from carrying on our duty as mandated. We will not stop exposing the corrupt. It is through exposure that a strong signal is sent to the would be corrupt to think twice before rationalizing to commit a fraud”
Col Nakalema’s investigations into the matter commenced on 19th February 2020 and on 28th February, about 7 officials involved were interdicted to pave way for investigations.
Investigations into Butebo and Namisindwa local governments were concluded and officials were last Friday arraigned before the Anti- Corruption Court at Kololo to answer charges of abuse of office, conspiracy to defraud, theft and embezzlement of funds.
In Butebo, over UGX175 million was paid to Sammix Uganda Limited, Litigation International, Otap limited and Zedkol financial services. Similarly, in Namisindwa over UGX495 million was paid to United Dev’t Sacco, Sammix Uganda and Zedkol financial services.
The State House Anti- Corruption Unit has since caused the recovery of 125million shillings which has already been deposited into the DPP recovery account in Bank of Uganda.
