Police arrest own spy boss over poor case handling

Police have arrested the Special Investigations Division commander, Senior Commissioner, Charles Kataratambi, over a fraud case he allegedly mismanaged.

Mr Kataratambi, who was arrested on Wednesday night in connection with a fraud case he allegedly mismanaged in a regional bank with a branch in Uganda, was asked to record a statement at the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate headquarters, before he was detained, sources said.

Sources added that the investigations boss is currently held at Nsambya Police Barracks.
Although the police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga, remained non-committal on Mr Kataratambi’s arrest, he confirmed that police were investigating a case against him.

“What I know is that he was recording a statement with our colleagues at Kibuli but I don’t have details whether he was arrested or not,” Mr Enanga said.

On Wednesday, the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, ordered Mr Kataratambi to hand over office to his deputy, Mr Joseph Ojinga, to pave way for police investigations.
Mr Enanga said he suspects that the interface with the detectives could have taken longer than usual.

Mr Kataratambi becomes the most senior police officer to be detained over mismanagement of a case since the Justice Julia Ssebutinde investigations into corruption in the police force in 1999. Mr Kataratambi was interrogated by the CIID deputy director in charge of corruption, Mr William Kototyo.

Sources said operatives recorded Mr Kataratambi talking to some people who are said to be connected to the regional bank fraud case out of office.

They also say there were gaps in the investigations of the controversial roadworks on the Katosi-Kyetume road, and another case in which a female MP was defrauded of Shs260m, cases that it is said Kataratambi was working on.

Sources said Mr Kataratambi was arrested at night as he was going home. Efforts to get a comment from Gen Kayihura were futile.

The Monitor

UM– USEKE.RW