Oyam police accused of mishandling defilement case of girl, 14

A man in Oyam district has accused the police of mishandling his daughter’s alleged defilement case.

This accusation comes amid ongoing police efforts to apprehend the suspect, a Kenyan businessman known only as Sam. He allegedly defiled the 14-year-old minor of Kamdini town council.

The case was first registered at Oyam Central Police Station under SD Ref 31/02/01/25. Later, the police arrested Farinah Achola, who allegedly lured the minor to Luzira Lodge, where the defilement occurred.

Achola has been released on police bond.

However, the victim’s father, Patrick Owino, claims that the police did not conduct an adequate investigation and that there may have been corruption involved.

“I am concerned that money might be exchanging hands in my daughter’s case,” he said.

“Achola Farinah who took the child and handed her to the criminal who defiled her is out and bragging. Also, there is much evidence coming out that the suspect, Sam, is using money to bribe police to kill the case and hunting for the suspect is delayed,” Owino added.

“The suspect is reportedly staying in Bweyale and Nwoya to evade arrest while using his money to transfer Achola Farinah away to eliminate evidence,’’ Owino told tndNews.

When contacted, the suspect, ‘Sam’, denied defiling the minor but admitted to hiding after the girl’s stepmother informed him that he was wanted.

‘’Now, it’s like this: defilement is good when you get someone to live with your daughter and what you hear is just a mere, brother. I don’t even know the daughter he’s talking about. The wife of that very man alone called me one very early morning and told me. ‘I don’t want you to come to Kamdini because my husband is looking for money from people’.

“Eh! Me, I’m on the run. That is why for me I decided to also stay away. Very many people are in jail nowadays. So, I have to stay away from Kamdini,’’ the suspect said in an interview with tndNews.

Police speak. 

SP Job Mutegeki, the Oyam District Police Commander, said investigations reveal that this would have been a defilement, was not a defilement, but was just something which was set up.

“That case, I heard of it. It is alleged that the girl was defiled by two people. The Somali and this other person who was arrested and brought here. But according to the investigations, the would have been a defilement, was not a defilement, it was just something which was set up.”

The DPC stated that the girl was friendly with the suspect, and that the suspect gave the victim a phone. “When the girl walked away with the phone, the relatives of the girl found this boy who had followed up with his phone.”

Mutegeki said on January 8, the girl’s parents went and opened their case in police. “And now, investigations have moved around and have found that the real matter was just concocted on the issue of the defilement.

‘’The boy was released on police bond. The Somali has never been arrested, just according to how the girl alleges. But it is believed that there was no defilement, neither even attempted defilement, was not there and that matter is still at that,’’ Mutegeki said.

He also denied allegations that police took bribes to end the case. “Everyone is entitled to say anything he or she wishes to say. There is nothing like a bribe. Taking someone to jail innocently, it is really very bad.

“That’s why we subject every situation to investigation. That is just maybe they want to tarnish the image of the police, which we cannot accept,’’ he stated.

By Woo Chris