Police officer who killed moneylender remanded to Luzira prison

Ivan Wabwire, a police constable accused of killing Uttam Bhandari Saremal, an Indian moneylender on May 12 has been remanded to Luzira prisons till June 7.

Wabwire appeared before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate's court on charges of murder. Court heard that while at Raja Chambers along Parliament Avenue in Kampala district with malice aforethought, Wabwire unlawfully killed Bhandari.

Bhandari was the director of TFS Financial Services which regularly offered loans to police officers and other members of the public. Magistrate Sarah Tusiime did not allow Wabwire to take plea because the case against him is capital in nature and can only be heard by the High court. 

Prosecution led by Joan Keko and Ivan Kyazze informed court that investigations into this case are in the advanced stages. Emerging details show that Wabwire first acquired a loan worth Shs 1 million from TFS in 2020 which would accumulate an interest of Shs 320,000 in 12 months. He acquired a second loan in 2021 of the same amount for the same interest rate and period but this time he defaulted.

It is alleged that at the time of the shooting, Wabwire had gone to ask for a quotation so that the loan could be bought off by an unnamed bank. He returned the killer gun to CPS before fleeing to Busia near the Kenyan border from where he was arrested over the weekend.

Wabwire faces a death sentence upon conviction.