Police at Buwunga in Masaka district are holding 4 Electoral Commission (EC) workers for allegedly withholding voter’s registers over pay.
The suspects in police custody include two Parish Supervisors for neglect of duty.
Police investigations indicate that the group neglected their duties of displaying voters registers in the ongoing votability exercise.
Alex Mukasa, 22, one of the suspects claims that the Electoral Commission did not give them appointment letters while recruiting them for the display of voters’ registers exercise, making it hard to know how much they are to be paid.
The Southern Region Police Spokesperson Noah Serunjoji says the group faces charges of neglect of duty.
He says the four were arrested after locals complained that they had failed to verify their particulars on the voter’s registers due to absence of the Electoral commission officials.
While in Jinja, the police have arrested five Electoral Commission officials for allegedly extorting money from people who had gone to register or verify their details during the National Voter Register update exercise at Jinja Central West Parish on Friday.
The District Police Commander Mr. Apollo Kateeba said they had received intelligence information that some Electoral Commission officials in Jinja were charging registration fees for forms that are meant to be given free of charge.
“We sent our own officers to the registration centers as applicants to be registered and one of the officials asked for Shs5000 as registration fee”, said Mr. Kateeba.
When contacted, the district returning officer Mr. Anthony Mwaita said he had on several occasions warned the officials to against the act, saying that if caught, the culprits would face the wrath of the law.
“I have been hearing those allegations but I have always told them over and over to not get tempted to ask for money from anyone who comes for registration. There is no way to defend anybody regarding this matter. Let the law take its course”, said Mr. Mwaita.
Story by Malik Fahad and Abubaker Kirunda
