Greater Masaka Killings: Bukomansimbi Police officer arrested for sharing intelligence with MPs released

Maurice Abongo, the officer-in-charge of Misanvu Police Station in Kibinge Sub county, Bukomansimbi district has reported back to work following his release from Police detention.

Assistant Superintendent of Police-ASP Abongo was arrested last week, following a bitter clash between Security Minister Maj General Jim Muhwezi and Members of Parliament who were inquiring about the security situation in his area of jurisdiction.

Abongo was on Wednesday last week summoned by his supervisors at the Greater Masaka Regional Police headquarters, where he was detained for sharing “sensitive security information” with the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Internal Affairs.

Source privy to the details from a meeting of regional police departmental heads that deliberated on Abongo’s conduct on Friday, say that the officer was cautioned before he was released and cleared to return to his duty station.

Muhammad Nsubuga the greater Masaka Regional Police Public Spokespersons confirms that Abongo was subjected to police administrative processes before he was instructed to report back to his duty station.

“These are administrative matters that cannot be freely discussed with the public,” he said. “There are standards under which police operate and all of us are duty-bound to observe them. What I can tell you for now is the officer is at his duty station.”

Nsubuga however declines to comment about the underlying inadequacies which the officer bemoaned during the meeting with MPs. He has also avoided speaking about the circumstances of Abongo’s release.

Abongo confirms that he has reported back to the station, however also remains tight-lipped when asked about the arrest.

On Tuesday last week, the Parliament Committee of Defense and Internal Affairs, chaired by Sheema district Woman MP Rosemary Nyakikongoro, conducted a public hearing in Bukomansimbi district, to assess security’s responsiveness on the recent wave of insecurity in the area, which is characterized by the gruesome murders.

During the meeting, Abongo told that the MPs that Police in rural areas are highly disadvantaged in terms of resources and capacities required to effectively perform their policing responsibilities.

He revealed that the whole Police Station of Kibinge is equipped with only one old motorcycle, which also lacks no fuel to enable Police officers to conduct night patrols as a way of combating crimes in the area.

He accordingly demanded that MPs push for increased and equitable facilitation of the police officers if they are they are to effectively secure the communities from the growing criminality.

However, when he began sharing with the committee on the response mechanism to deal with machete-wielding thugs that were threatening to stuck the area, the officer was called to order by Security Minister Muhwezi who accused him of revealing “sensitive intelligence information” that compromises security and would prejudice ongoing investigations.