GULU: The Police Professional Standard Unit-PSU in the Aswa River Region has suspended a police detective for taking a 600,000 shilling bribe to grant a police bond for a criminal suspect.
Oringa, the Officer In-charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (OCCID) at Gulu University police post, is accused of taking a bribe from the family of one Louis Ayella, a suspect arrested over suspected human trafficking.
The suspect’s family says Oringa demanded one million and five hundred thousand shillings from them, saying that the case was complicated. However, upon negotiation, they settled for six hundred thousand shillings.
Ayella was arrested on the 4th of August 2022 from Koro Trading Centre in Gulu City after ignoring a police summon about two weeks ago, following the alleged disappearance of a passenger whom he had carried from Gulu City to Awach Sub County.
The family went to the Gulu University police station to find out what was going on and to secure him a police bond, but were shocked when the OCCID demanded 600,000 Shillings before Ayella could be released.
Ojok explains that, out of distress, the family raised 500,000 Shillings on the next day, leading to the release of Ayella but with a commitment to clear the balance of Shillings 100,000 in due time.
Trouble for Corporal Oringa struck when Ojok sought the assistance of the Police Professional Standards Unit (PSU) in the Aswa River Region, seeking to understand why they were asked to pay money to secure a bond for their brother.
However, the PSU advised Ojok to trick the officer by photocopying all the notes that they intended to pay for the balance.
Then, on Friday, August 12th, 2022, when the family notified the OCCID that they were arriving with seventy-five thousand shillings, he had no idea that they were accompanied by detectives.
No sooner had the OCCID received the money than he was arrested by the officer in plain clothes.
Ongom Mudong, the Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson, said on Tuesday that the OCCID was then arrested and held at the Aswa River Regional PSU detention cell and later this week was suspended from duties pending investigations.