Police in Gulu is holding Filbert Otim Baijuka, the former Amuru District Senior Principle Officer in connection with the murder of John Oola Omona, the former Gulu Municipal Deputy Town Clerk.
Police say Otim was picked on Friday last week from Gulu town and detained at Gulu Central Police.
Otim’s arrest brings to 11 number of suspects arrested in connection with the murder of the Oola.
The late Oola was murdered by unknown people about a fortnight ago as he dropped a female acquaintance at about midnight in the Gulu town suburb of Kanyagoga.
Jimmy Patrick Okema, the Aswa Region Police Spokesperson confirmed the arrest of Filbert Otim Baijuka during a press conference at the Northern Uganda Media Club on Monday.
Okema explained that Otim’s arrested follows an ‘‘expansion’’ of investigations into the murder of Oola. He revealed that Otim will be transferred to Kampala for further questioning. He did not reveal where in Kampala Otim will be questioned. There has been speculation in Gulu that some of the suspects arrested in connection with the murder have been sent to the notorious Nalufenya police station in Jinja.
Could the murder be linked to a fight over a job?
Police declined to give reason for Otim’s arrest. But in 2015 Otim lost his job as the Amuru District Senior Principle Officer after an investigation by the Inspector General of Government found that he had forged academic papers. By this time, however, Otim had applied for the position of Deputy Town Clerk, Gulu Municipality. But he was disqualified from the list of applicants on the basis of the IGG’s investigation.
The late Oola who was the acting Gulu Acting Town Clerk took the job of a substantial deputy town clerk. Mr Otim however was not impressed. In June 2016 he (Otim) wrote to Public Service Commission saying the deceased (Oola) should be fired from the job because he had been irregularly recruitment.
The Public Service Commission in December 2015 conducted its own investigation and found that both Filbert Otim Baijuki and John Omona Oola lacked the requisite working experience for the post of Deputy Town clerk. The Commission said Gulu district service commission erred by shortlisting and appointing Omona John Oola to the post. In a letter dated February 2, 2016 and addressed to Dorothy Ajwang, the Gulu Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Canon Ducan Bigirwa, the secretary to the commission, ordered the appointment of Oola to investigated and reviewed. Canon Birigwa also recommended that the post of Gulu deputy town be re-advertised externally and Oola’s appointment revoked. At the time of his death, Oola had challenged the decision of the Public Service Commission in the courts of law.
Suspects Released
Meanwhile other suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Oola have been released on police bond. The suspects are Martin Akena, Denis Bongomin, Samuel Odokonyero, Aaron Odong, Jennifer Akello. Also released are: Alice Kipwola (the lady who Oola had dropped by car at the time of his murder), Thabo Mbeki, Allan Onek, Brenda Kinyera( UPC party youth leader) and Wesley Aromo.
Other suspects Martin Akena, Denis Bongomin, Aaron Odong and Jennifer Akello have been transferred to Kampala for further questioning by police special investigations department.Those released were granted police bond on Wednesday last week.
