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This one reads like a thriller that somehow found its way into real life. A 67-year-old Belgian named Schelf Hout Joris, who had been working as an oil and gas consultant in Muyenga, got caught in an alleged web cooked up by Kabalagala police officers and a couple of city lawyers. An internal police probe has already led to two lawyers, Muhindo Patience Audrey and Stuart Kasingye, landing in court on theft charges after Shs700 million mysteriously left his account.
The darker part came later. On February 13 he was grabbed at a bar in Muyenga, taken to the station, and hit with homosexuality accusations that never even made it into any official record. No entry in the station diary, no lock-up log, nothing. Instead he spent hours locked in the officer-in-charge’s office while pressure mounted. Investigators say he ended up handing over Shs3 million just to walk free, plus another Shs100,000 described as “office rent.” Then came the warning: stay in Uganda and face re-arrest and worse.
Terrified, he fled the country. Only after his partner convinced him did he come back and report everything. The Professional Standards Unit has now recommended disciplinary action against two officers, ASP Namutebi Madrine and ASP Turyahikayo Alex, for irregular conduct that could damage the force’s name. The lawyers are cooling their heels in Luzira while the case heads to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
It is the sort of story that makes you pause and wonder how many similar quiet deals happen when big money and shaky charges mix. For now the Belgian is waiting for real justice, and the scandal has the entire police force looking over its shoulder.
