Police bosses in Ntungamo under fire for shielding fugitive in attempted murder case

Ntungamo, (UG): Ntungamo District Police led by the DPC Bushaija Hannington and a section of other senior police officers in the district have come under fire for covering up a prime suspect and threatening victims of a pre-meditated crime of traffic accident.

The incident which happened on Wednesday 27^th December 2023 was a pre-meditated traffic accident involving the suspect identified as Aryatureeba Frank aka Ruguza Frank who claims to be a State House Official yet a criminal fugitive wanted by South African Police.

Information obtained by DailyExpress indicates that on the fateful day when the crime was committed, Ruguza who was driving a Mercedes Benz Mv Reg No UBD 730U claiming to be implementing State house directives knocked stationary motorcycles and several pedestrians at a scene opposite Rwamabondo Police Station in full view of the station OC Mr Ssempa Moses.

The driver accompanied by two armed uniformed Policemen did not report the accident to the Police which was just in front of the scene neither did his escorts he was travelling in the same vehicle. Ssempa, the OC of the station opposite the scene (Rwamabondo) is said to have also refused the victims from reporting the accident at his station.

Aware of the incident and in an attempt to cover up it as a normal accident, Ruguza called one Dr James Nabasa, a medical officer in charge of Rwashamaire Health Center IV who picked up the victims from the scene and transported them in an Ambulance for medical treatment.

This website further understands that one of the victims of the accident identified as Martin alias Alex Twine sustained life-threatening injuries (with fumer-bone fracture of both legs). 

However, a source close familiar with events as they unfolded exclusively revealed that Dr Nabasa made an appropriate cover-up of the seriousness of the injuries and discharged the victims from the Government hospital, whisked them away to witchdoctors on purported orders of Ruguza, the fugitive criminal.

It is further alleged that Ruguza would then promise the victims that they would receive State House medical assistance which they have not received up to now.

However, on 14 January 2024, another victim of the incident identified as Byamukama Lawrence somehow was able to escape and travelled afar 15 kilometres away at Kagarama Police Station to open a case file against Ruguza and the Police bosses at Rwamabondo Station for mismanaging the incident. His case was opened vide SD/REF/09/14/01/2024.

The source further told DailyExpress that Ruguza aware of whistleblowers attempting to report him to authorities has now put in place a plan to kill and/or intimidate anyone and their presumed associates/relatives who dare to open up about his criminal activities in Uganda and South Africa.

According to the source, this pre-meditated traffic accident by knocking down whistle-blowers and their presumed associates using Motor vehicles of any kind is one of the plans he is using to evade arrest, and that with his fat wallet, he feeds off police officers to keep shut and cover up his criminal activities and illegal dealings.

“They then destroy evidence by driver not reporting the accident, intimidate the victims from reporting the accident, intimidate the local police from receiving the complaints from victims,” says the source.

Further information obtained implicates another police offer at the rank of Superintendent of Police, SP Wasiima Lauben attached to Masaka Regional Police Headquarters but stays in the same area (Rwamabondo) as part of this scheme.

Reports this publication could not independently verify also point out that it was SP Wasiima who influenced the transfer of Ssempa Moses to become OC Station Rwamabondo Police Station so that he could perfect their part of the scheme as police by conniving with medical officers in government hospitals in the area to cover up the injuries sustained by victims.

Whistleblowers who opened up on Ruguza’s whereabouts including the families of Byarugaba, Gaston Bashobora, Richard Kabonero and Orimwesiga among many others are all equally worried for their lives as they are targets in this planned ‘assassination’ plan.

Mr Bashobora, in particular, one of the victims of Ruguza’s criminal victims in November opened up a case against the accused over a violent attack at his residence in Nyakarete Cell, Rwamagando Ward, Rwamabondo Town Council, in Ntungamo District. Bashobora is a UN Diplomat who currently works with the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Diplomat in a petition filed by his lawyers of Interlink Associated Advocates before the Regional Police Commander in Rwizi accused Ruguza of conniving with the Ntungamo DPC Bushaija to aid the gang attack at his home on the 23rd of November.

According to the lawyers, the group of men in protection of officers deployed on the orders of the DPC spontaneously attacked the UN diplomat’s home and vandalized the CCTV System before making away with the system decoder, purportedly to destroy any evidence of the incident.

Is the Rwizi RPC aware?

The Rwizi Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Kituuma Sam when contacted for a comment, told DailyExpress that he was not aware of the premeditated accident and that he had not seen or met with the victims pinning his regional police officers.

“No, I am not aware of such a case. Sometimes matters are brought to my deputy, maybe it went to him [the deputy],” RPC Kituuma said, before advising the complainants to go to him and formally register their concern.

“I will immediately swing in the services of our professional standards unit,” he emphasized, acknowledging that he last month directed the Ntungamo DPC to “involve stakeholders and handle the matter professionally.”

However, one of the victims who did not prefer to be identified by name because of the sensitivity of the report told this website; “It is now up to the RPC to explain how the policemen were escorting Frank (Ruguza) during the time of the accident. He (Frank) also uses the police deployed at Mzee’s home illegally.”

It remains to be seen what the RPC will do to resolve the complicated incidents involving individuals who claim to be working on orders of the State House, whereas not.