Policeman who shot Indian money lender ‘not mentally ill’ – Enanga

KAMPALA, UGANDA: Police Constable Ivan Wabwire who shot and killed Uttam Bhandari, an Indian money lender at Parliamentary Avenue last Friday has been examined by physiatrists and “found to be normal and sound” according to police surgeons.

Bhandari was the Director of TFS Financial Services which regularly offered loans to police officers and other members of the public before he was assassinated by PC Wabwire after an argument over a disagreed payment plan in the shs2.1m loan he owed the institution.

Shortly after the Friday shooting, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, had explained that Wabwire had been diagnosed with a mental illness six years ago and that the leadership at CPS in Kampala had taken a decision never to deploy him with a rifle or in situations that demand him to use a weapon.

“Due to the suspect’s medical conditions, Police management at CPS Kampala had taken a decision… not to arm him with a gun and they have been deploying him in beats that do require him to be armed. His current deployment was at the CCTV monitoring centre,” Onyango said then.

However, in the latest update to the media on Monday afternoon, Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga refuted the mental health report from the KMP spokesperson and said that the force’s surgeons have since examined Wabwire and found him to be very normal.

“Surgeons examined him and found that he is very normal. Afterwards, we are going to take him to a psychiatrist. He has since recorded an extra-judicial statement before the Magistrate. From the records so far the officer is very normal and of sound mind, we will wait for the Psychiatrist,” Enanga said.

Details show that Wabwire first acquired a loan worth one million shillings from TFS in 2020 which would accumulate an interest of 320,000 Shillings in 12 months. He acquired a second loan in 2021 of the same amount for the same interest rate and period but this time he defaulted.

It is alleged that at the time of the shooting, Wabwire had gone to ask for a quotation so that the loan could be bought off by a bank. He was arrested in Busia over the weekend and has since been transferred back to Kampala.

Enanga said Muromba who was arrested on Friday and detained at the former Special Investigations Unit – SIU in Kireka has been dismissed from the force. Police said he exercised a high level of indiscipline by taking the gun to his room instead of taking it back to the armoury since he had completed his night duty.

“He exercised high levels of indiscipline and gross professionalism which highly taints the image of the force. The management sat and he was found guilty and it was resolved that he be dismissed from the police. He is now a civilian. He also has a criminal case of neglect of duty,” Enanga said.

“The victim paid the price for his negligence with his life. As a result, he was arrested and detained at Kireka, pending disciplinary action for discreditable conduct. His immediate supervisors also face disciplinary sanctions, for poor supervision.”