Africa-Press – Uganda. Aruu North Member of Parliament Odonga Otto has been kept in detention for the third day following his arrest on a range of criminal offences, including assault of a journalist and claiming that he had been poisoned while in police custody.
Mr Otto, who was transferred from Gulu to Kampala City on Tuesday, is being detained at the Special Investigations Division at Kireka.The spokesperson of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Mr Charles Twiine, yesterday said the legislator recorded statements in regard to the offences of illegal possession of a firearm, destruction of property and offensive communication.
“He has refused to record the statements, but later was convinced by his relatives. His file is being processed very fast and he will be taken to court very soon,” Mr Twiine said.It is alleged that Mr Otto assaulted a journalist while at Pece Stadium, Gulu City, in 2019. The police also allege that he used a gun that he holds illegally to attack a driver before he damaged his vehicle.
Other cases
In another case, it is alleged he was involved in electoral violence in January this year and when he was arrested, he claimed to have been poisoned while in detention. Police say it was not true and are now investigating him for offensive communication.
Mr Twiine said the MP has been holding a firearm that isn’t registered with any of the security firms.A team of top detectives led by Mr Francis Olugu, the deputy director at CID, was sent from the CID headquarters in Kampala City to Gulu City to arrest him. It is rare for an MP to be arrested in such way. Often MPs are summoned through the Speaker of Parliament and thereafter arrested upon appearance.
The CID team cornered him while at the Bomah Hotel gym section in Gulu City. Mr Otto’s brother Tadeo Oloya Otto was also arrested on allegations that he was obstructing police officers from carrying out the arrest.However, the MP said cases against him are politically motivated.
Mr Otto was defeated in the parliamentary election by Dr Christopher Komakech, a relative of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Paul Lokech.
