Police have refuted social media rumors alleging corruption among its officers during an operation at Trust Arcade on February 23, 2024.
The joint operation with Uganda Bureau of Standards (URSB) aimed to shut down shops suspected of selling counterfeit or substandard goods.
A TikTok video emerged during the operation, purportedly showing three officers sharing money, allegedly extorted from traders. Three officers are captured on one of the CCTV cameras counting and sharing money among themselves. According to the orator the money is said to have been extorted from frustrated traders.
Patrick Onyango, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, has denounced the claims as baseless.
Onyango clarifies that the operation had official approval from both the Uganda Police Force and URSB.
He explains that the police was sought for assistance in the operation that targeted counterfeit and trademark violations, notably concerning the detergent Jik.
He states that contrary to reports that the operation was illegal, local business leadership fully endorsed the operation.
Onyango further says that officers did not solicit or extort money from traders. He specified that the funds seen in the video were lunch allowances from URSB, not obtained from traders.
Onyango says anyone with evidence contradicting their stance to contact the Police Professional Standard Unit for thorough investigation.
“If anyone has information contrary to the above, they are advised to kindly contact the Police Professional Standard Unit to provide evidence proving that officers were extorting money from traders. The matter will be investigated.” said Onyango
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