Police in Masindi district is holding Byaruhanga Tumwesige a 20-year-old resident of Kihaara Village in Bwijanga Sub county Bujenje County in Masindi district for allegedly faking his own kidnap and demanding a ransom of Shs.7 Million from his relatives.
It is alleged that Mid-last week, through a phone call, Byaruhanga faked his relatives that he was kidnapped by unknown assailants while he was on his way from Kihaara to Masindi town.
Still on a phone call, Byaruhanga told his relatives that he had been taken to a scary unknown destination and that his captors wanted Shs.7 Million to spare his life.
This worried his relatives, prompting them to run to Masindi police station to file a kidnap case and also seek help.
The Albertine region Police spokesperson Julius Hakiza has today told our reporter that the Police Flying Squad Unit launched an operation of tracking Byaruhanga’s phone.
Hakiza says that as police monitored Byaruhanga’s suspected kidnappers’ movements, the signals kept-on shifting from Bujenje in Masindi to Hoima city.
The Police spokesperson said that the signals later indicated that Byaruhanga was in a trade show at Hoima Booma Grounds where police finally arrested him from over the weekend.
Hakiza says that police are yet to open charges against the suspect who is being held at Masindi Central Police station for interrogation.
