Police have with immediate effect dismissed from the force, its officer whose gun was used in the gruesome murder of an Indian money lender last week.
According police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, Police Constable Steven Mulombo was on Friday afternoon arrested after investigations found out he had abandoned his gun in his room from where Ivan Wabwire picked it leading to the shooting of Uttam Bhandari at Raja Chambers along Parliamentary Avenue.
“The tragic murder could have avoided if the owner of the killer weapon had not left it unattended to in the room he shared with Wabwire. This was an outright case of gross indiscipline and negligence. As a result, he has been charged in the disciplinary court with discreditable conduct and dismissed from the force this morning,” Enanga said.
He explained that this is not a one off but rather a routine by the force where there are incidents of gross indiscipline and unprofessionalism and sanctions are taken against individual officers.
“Sanctions are taken against those officers disciplinarily whose actions taint the image of the force. Therefore, in this case, management comprised a disciplinary court that sat and after the defaulter was found guilty of discreditable conduct, he was dismissed from police. He is now a civilian.”
According to Enanga, a file has been prepared and sent to the Director of Criminal Investigations for Mulombo to face charges related to neglect of duty in courts of law.
Over the weekend, President Museveni asked several questions that he said police need to answer in regards the incident at Parliamentary Avenue.
“How did an off- duty Police man, access a gun? Did he walk away from his guard post without permission with a gun to commit crime? How are the guns stored in the Police? Is there no security at the site where the victim was,” Museveni wondered in the statement.
According to the president, more questions still need to be answered on why local security allowed an armed person to enter into the building that housed the money lending business without disarming him at the entrance.
The president also questioned the mental status of the police officer that he said ought to be ascertained.
“Did he have a history of mental instability? If he had, why hadn’t the Police leadership noticed and acted appropriately?”
According to the president, the answer to these questions might help in plugging the gaps in the security system but also come to the top of the problem.
