Editor
Police to charge Capt. Muhoozi and Simbwa, finally
Deputy IGP and Police Spokesman Andrew Felix Kaweesi
The Police has finally revealed plans to charge Capt. Ronald Muhoozi and Sam Simbwa, the two men who were arrested over a year ago over an alleged fake arms deal involving a Polish company.
The duo has been in police detention since September 2015, as three security agencies tried to investigate the matter in which high-ranking army officers are believed to have participated.
Police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kawesi said three intelligence bodies Special Investigation Unit (SIU), External Security Organization (ESO) and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) that came out with enough evidence that linked them in the dea
Kaweesi said: “The reason why Capt. Ronald Muhoozi and Sam Simbwa were detained for all this period, was that this case had a lot of investigations which involved our spying agencies like CMI, SIU and ESO to travel to Poland to engage the Irish BMP Poland SP Z.O.O officials in the investigations.”
Kaweesi says these investigations which involve agencies from different countries had to take long time because they are transnational investigations and the case involved two companies from different countries that is the Irish BMP Poland SP Z.O.O which was to sell weapons to the Government. .
According to reports from the investigative agencies, the conmen disguised themselves as Ministry of Defence Procurement team dressed in the military uniforms and invited officials from Irish BMP Poland SP Z.O.O for meeting in the Bombo barracks headquarters of Land Forces. The UPDF lands force commander then was under Maj. Gen. Leo Kyanda.
Police says that in Gen. Kyanda’s office, the ‘thugs’ allegedly convinced the Polish company representatives that the government was planning to buy body shields and anti riot equipment worth Euros 71 million. Having convinced them, they were asked to pay Euro 7000 for bidding documents. And they gave out their power of Attorney to Prima Investments Uganda to negotiate the deal where Simbwa shortly went to Equity Bank and secured a bank guarantee on which BMP wired over Euros 500,000 (Ugsh 2 billions) to cover the bond security of the deal.
Prima Investments Uganda was also claimed to have been contracted by Ministry of Defence to look for the company which would supply 375 tanks in specified classes of T-54, T-55, T-72, T-90 and number of PT-76 amphibious tanks, six self-propelled artillery pieces and assorted BMP infantry fighting vehicles, like 46 Ferret and Eland light armor reconnaissance cars. Intelligence reports show that the con men use Prima Investments was used to extort Ushs2bn for the perceived consultancy service and even the Polish company agreed to release the money.
Charges against Muhoozi and Simbwa are yet to be revealed but there are rumours that several other senior officers may be involved.
However Kaweesi said: “Due to investigations which are being handled by our strong investigative agencies we cannot say or deny for any officer that is connected to this case. The two suspects have been in detention at the Police Special Investigations Unit in Kireka.
.
Comments
