Man fined Shs4.8m for trying to bribe police at gold theft scene
KAMPALA. A man has been convicted by the Anti-Corruption Court after admitting he attempted to bribe police officers guarding a crime scene linked to the alleged theft of 785kg of gold.
Kayiwa Amir pleaded guilty to offering a gratification to officers deployed at Detail Security Company Ltd in Lubowa, Kajjansi Town Council, Wakiso District.
He was ordered to pay a fine of UGX 4.8m or face three years in prison if he fails to pay. The sentence followed his conviction for attempting to bribe officers who were securing the premises during an investigation into the alleged gold theft.
His arrest took place on 29 August 2026 during a joint operation by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Prosecutors told the court that police had been deployed to guard the company premises after a complaint was made over the alleged theft of 785kg of gold from the firm.
As part of efforts to preserve evidence, officers had secured an office belonging to Emmanuel Asimwe, a director of the company.
The court heard that Kayiwa later approached the officers at the scene and offered them UGX 8m in an attempt to influence them and enable evidence to be removed from the sealed office.
According to the prosecution, Kayiwa first gave UGX 4m to one of the officers before returning with a further UGX 4m. The second payment was recovered at the time of his arrest. The full UGX 8m was later presented in court as an exhibit.
The SH-ACU, which coordinated the operation with the CID and ODPP, said it remains committed to fighting corruption and to ensuring investigations are not undermined through bribery or other forms of interference.
The Unit warned members of the public against attempting to influence law enforcement officers with financial inducements, particularly when investigations are ongoing and evidence has been secured.
It stressed that offering a gratification to public officers to obstruct investigations, compromise evidence, or interfere with the administration of justice is a criminal offence that carries serious legal consequences.
The conviction, the Unit said, serves as a warning that attempts to frustrate investigations through bribery will be pursued by the relevant law enforcement and prosecution agencies.
