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In Summary
Athletics. Assistant Inspector of Police, Edward Ochom, leads probe team investigating sexual harassment case that has rocked Uganda’s athletics for over a year and death threats on Kipsiro’s life.
KAMPALA. Internal Affairs Minister, General Aronda Nyakairima, has instituted a committee to investigate the scandals in Uganda’s athletics. The probe, headed by Assistant Inspector of Police, Edward Ochom, is focusing on sexual harassment allegations against coach Peter Wemali and death threats to star runner Moses Kipsiro.
Gen Aronda institute a probe committee after Kipsiro reported to him that his life was in danger. The runner said he received a life-threatening message on his mobile phone, which forced him to withdraw from the World Cross-country Championships held March 28 in China. Commonwealth champion Kipsiro said he suspected Wemali, now on remand on charges of rape and defilement, to have sent the message.
Early last year, Kipsiro demanded that Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) and Uganda Police punish Wemali, who he accused of sexually harassing junior female runners. UAF said they cleared Wemali after an investigation while a police report indicated there wasn’t adequate evidence to prosecute the coach in court much as they found out that he made sexual advances towards a female runner and used vulgar language during training. Kipsiro was dissatisfied with the manner in which the case was handled. He also complained that Wemali was harassing his family. “I have decided to set up a committee to investigate the matter, establish the facts and come up with recommendations,” Gen Aronda stated in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura and members of the committee.
Ochom’s team has already interviewed several stakeholders including UAF leaders, Kipsiro and Assistant Inspector of Police, Andrew Sorowen, who oversees sports in the Force. The probe team heads to Kapchorwa this week to interview other stakeholders.
“We want to help the nation by finding out the truth,” Ochom said during an interaction with this writer yesterday. Ochom’s team is expected to produce a report in about a fortnight.
The Committee
Edward Ochom (AIGP), Jimmy Haguma (Acting Commissioner of Police, Electronic and Counter Measures Department UPF), Charles Erechu (Detective Superitendant of Police, CII), Emmy Twagira Tuzinde (Head of DCIC Intelligence Unit, Ministry of Internal Affairs) and Stephen Okello (Principle Legal Officer, Ministry of Internal Affairs)
sbashaija@ug.nationmedia.com
