BUVUMA, UGANDA: The Police in Ssezibwa Region are investigating how a handcuffed suspect drowned in Lake Victoria on Saturday evening as detectives were taking him to reconstruct a crime scene on the islands of Buvuma district.
Polcie identified the deceased as George Waidanga, 32, a resident of Tukuru Village in Tukuru Parish, Najja Sub County in Buikwe District.
According to the deceased’s brother Mr Stephen Wadada, Waidanga was arrested last week with other suspects in connection to theft of 100 litres of fuel, but as armed detectives escorted him in a boat to Zzinga Island in Bugaya Sub County, he reportedly jumped into the water.
“The deceased was handcuffed and we are wondering how he managed to wrestle three armed police officers and drowned on Saturday,” Wadada said on Wednesday evening.
He said the body of Waidanga surfaced on the water on Sunday and was buried on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 in Buikwe district.
Mr. Wadada further said that his brother had multiple cases related to theft at police and according to Mr John Baptist Sserwanja, the chairperson of the Bugaya Sub County, this could have prompted him to end his life.
“Sometimes hardcore criminals commit suicide and it is possible that he chose to throw himself in the water, but we are leaving it to the police to do their investigations,” he said.
According to Ms. Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa Police Spokesperson, further investigations are underway to establish what exactly caused Waidanga’s death.
“A case of drowning was registered at Bugaya Police station, but since the family insists that there could have been a foul play on the part of our detectives, we are going to carry out further investigations to establish the truth,” he said.
The deceased’s family questioned the circumstances in which he died, police had earlier indicated that the suspect died while in cells.
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