Kampala South Regional Police Commander (RPC) Siraje Bakaleke has been forcibly sent on leave to pave way for smooth investigations into the extent of his involvement in a Shs1.4bn scam.
Sources say that officers investigating Bakaleke on Wednesday wrote to the Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura requesting him (Bakaleke) to step aside from his office so that he does not interfere with the investigations.
Bakaleke is said to have respected the request by the IGP and actually never appeared at office on Thursday.
Efforts by this reporter to speak to the police spokesman SSP Emillian Kayima for a comment were futile as he did not pick our repeated telephone calls.
Mr Bakekeleke is alleged to have connived some other people to extort money from three South Korean investors.
He is said to be behind the operation in which three police officers obtain Shs1.4bn from South. Koreans, who had gone to meet Mr Wanyoto, at gun point.
The three police officers, one Muzanero, George Kayongo and Patrick Ochen, were earlier this week arrested and are being held at Nalufenya police facility in Jinja. They were, prior to the arrest, attached to Katwe Police Station.
Bakaleke is alleged to have masterminded the heist and only dispatched the trio to execute.
The Koreans, who have since been identified as Ha Dong Sua, Park Seunghoon and Jang Seungkwon, were threatened to be deported on detention hence asking them for money.
However, Wanyoto is on record to have denied having connived with police to obtain any money from the Koreans.
In his explanation he claims that it is actually the Koreans who attempted to lure him and entrap him into the scam but were rather unsuccessful.
