Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Director of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Grace Akullo has cautioned officers in charge of records at police stations across the country against leaking confidential information to the public.
She made the appeal while passing out 103 record officers after completing their basic Records Management Training course at the CID headquarters in Kibuli on Thursday 8, October 2020 evening.
According to Akullo, the practice of leaking confidential police information to the public is rampant among records officers which she said is criminal.
She also cautioned the officers against photocopying police files and handing them to suspects after pocketing bribes saying it is a dangerous practice.
“You saw some of your colleagues taken to court because of photocopying a file and handing it to a suspect. The officer in charge of records of the region was arraigned in court,” Akullo said.
She revealed that police is losing various cases in court because of the unscrupulous conduct of some officers who deliberately pull out sensitive documents from case files.
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A number of police officers have been arrested in the past for violating the oath of secrecy by leaking internal communication to the public which ends up on social media.
One of such officers is Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ali Lwetunga who was arrested for allegedly leaking a WhatsApp message from the Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander Moses Kafeero.
CID spokesperson Charles Twine says the Directorate in partnership with the Office of Director of Public Prosecution –DPP and Justice Law and Order Sector –JLOS intends to train and equip all officers in CID with investigation skills, records management and exhibit handling among others.