Africa-Press – Uganda. The unconditional release from police custody of seven suspects accused of illegally harvesting timber from Zoka Central Forest Reserve in Adjumani District has drawn anger among locals and environmentalists.
Police at Adjumani Central Police Station released the suspects on March 15 hours after they had been arrested by National Forestry Authority (NFA) rangers and local leaders for allegedly cutting trees in the forest reserve.
The suspects were arrested with four power saws, axes, machetes, ropes, food, cooking utensils and other tools. Hours later, the suspects were reportedly released from police custody unconditionally, a move that has compelled the public to believe that police have a hand in the plunder of the forest.
“We are deeply concerned by that action; it appears police are playing double standards by releasing the seven suspects just hours after they were handed to them,” Friends of Zoka, a pressure group advocating to save the forest, said in a statement.
“In ratifying a directive by first deputy Prime Minister Gen Moses Ali, we ask police to check within its ranks for unscrupulous officers aiding illicit exploitation of natural resources,” Mr William Amanzuru, the team leader of Friends of Zoka, said.
This incident was preceded by the March 5 one when the district forest and natural resources departments detained Corporal Isaac Opira and three other police officers from Apaa Police Post.
The four were arrested at Lulayi Village, a buffer zone of Zoka Central Forest Reserve, while guarding heaps of timber whose owner could not be identified.
The district leaders alleged that the police officers, with the authority of the officer-in-charge (OC) of Zoka Police Post, Mr Patrick Komakec, have for long been providing security and cover for illegal logging activities in the forest.
However, the police officers were also released, according to Mr Solomon Agwee, an environmental activist in the district.
Police speak out
However, police on Monday said they released the suspects since the NFA officials who arrested them simply dumped them at the station without providing evidence that would implicate them in the plunder of the forest reserve.
Mr Godwin Ochaki, the Adjumani District police commander (DPC), said: “They simply dumped the suspects there and never registered a case against them and did not give us the exhibits, when I asked them to do so, they did not.”
But Mr Ochaki explained that the man who had employed the suspects to cut trees in the forest reserve has since been arrested.
“Because I released his men, he wanted to pay me to help recover his machines and that is how we arrested him once he arrived at CPS. His files are ready and he will be arraigned before court immediately,” he said.
On Monday, Mr Ochaki and other senior police officers in the area conducted a patrol around the forest and also visited Apaa Police Post but did not find the accused officers there.
“We found Mr Komakec (OC) absent but I have summoned him. Mr Opira is not one of us but an officer attached to Naguru (police headquarters in Kampala), who was on course but decided to come and steal timber here instead of returning to his station after the course,” the DPC said. He added that they have written to their counterparts at Naguru about Mr Opira’s actions and that he would be arrested.
