Arua hospital staff remanded to Kitalya over stealing Arua hospital ambulance

They allegedly according to their own admission agreed to  stealing the Arua Regional Referral Hospital Ambulance, a Toyota Land cruiser Reg. No. UG 6812M that they sold to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The suspects include some hospital staff and other conspirators.

The Ambulance was stolen on the 27th of March 2021. Police commenced investigations into the matter and the four security guards at the Hospital were arrested and charged in court with the offences of Neglect of duty and conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 390 of the Penal code Act Cap 120. However, no clear evidence was obtained as to who could actually have stolen the vehicle from its parking yard.

The State House Anti Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) headed by Col Edith Nakalema working in conjunction with the police, on 8th December 2021, Baguma Moses who was believed to have been behind the theft of the vehicle was arrested.

 He reportedly admitted to committing the offence and also disclosed other four suspects who were arrested, these were Wadia Alex, a driver at the Hospital, Ewaru Mathew, an Askari at the Hospital, Dramani Phillian, a driver working with office of the Prime Minister and Ocatre Denis, a Dental Assistant.

Upon arrest, all the suspects admitted to having participated in the theft of the Ambulance, their charge and caution statements were obtained on top of the plain statements.

 Oboth Yonas, the Senior Hospital Administrator who is part of the gang later after learning about the array of his accomplices left Arua and handed himself over to Police CID Headquarters at Kibuli and was detained, making the total number of suspects to be six.

One suspect Acadribo Christopher, is still at large. However, his statement is on record. Christopher at one time approached the investigators at State House Anti- Corruption Unit and informed them that he knew where the Ambulance was.

He disclosed that he was with a one Baguma Moses on the 27th March 2021 when the Ambulance was stolen. However, he never disclosed the details of how the theft done. But other suspects indicate that he was part of the plan.