GULU, UGANDA:- Aruu County MP Hon. Odonga Otto has been arrested and slapped with charges which among others include assault, damage and illegal possession of firearms.
The legislator was on Tuesday arrested from a gym at Bomah Hotel in Gulu City by Aswa River Region Police under the directives of Police detectives from CID Headquarters in Kampala.
The Deputy Director for Criminal Investigation Uganda Police, Francis Olugu says Odonga was arrested after several suspected cases including assault, malicious damage, illegal possession of firearms and an allegation of him being poisoned by police while in custody.
“We have arrested Hon. Odonga Otto on cases that were filed with Police and investigations were conducted. Case one is the allegation of assault and malicious damage in 2018 at Ogan kana Koko between Pader and Pajule.
Other cases include assaulting a journalist (Ojok Geoffrey Okot of Choice Fm in Gulu) during FUFA Drum Tournament match between Acholi versus West Nile Province at Pece war Memorial stadium in 2019, illegal possession of a firearm which is being investigated and we shall investigate the case of poisoning that he (MP Odonga) has asserted,” Olugu told Journalists.
In a heated exchange of words between the two in front of a journalist, Odonga claims he is being witch-hunted for filing election petition against the winner of Aruu MP-elect Komakech Christopher.
He accused Deputy IGP Gen Paul Lokech to be behind his arrest.
“Lukech is politically witch-hunting me. I was expecting this. So this is a political witch hunt. The other day they added four charges, today three. They can do what they want with me, they can even kill me the way they poisoned me at police station but this is a political witch hunt by Deputy Inspector General of Police Major General Paul Lukech and he is using police to solve political problems in Pader and for me, I am ready to go anywhere on whatever charges they want” Odonga said.
Olugu ordered police officers to take Odonga to the police double cabin pickup number UP 7484 and was immediately headed to Kibuli CID Police Headquarter in Kampala.
Olugu also ordered the arrest of MP Odonga’s elder brother Tadeo Oloya Otto on charge of obstructing lawful arrest of his brother by taking photos using a smartphone.
Oloya was immediately taken to Gulu Central Police station by officers at Aswa river region police headquarters.
Before the vehicle that carried MP Odonga took off, Olugu told journalists that the legislator will be arraigned in Court in Pader district before Friday.
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