LDU applicant arrested for attempting to bribe UPDF officer
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 08 2021
The LDU applicant was arrested for attempting to bribe a UPDF officer at the recruitment ground at Kimaka in Jinja on Tuesday. PHOTO / DENIS EDEMA
A Local Defence Unit (LDU) applicant from Najjembe Town Council in Buikwe District was on Tuesday arrested for attempting to bribe a Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) officer in order to be recruited into the force.
The incident happened during the recruitment exercise for applicants from Mukono and Buikwe districts that commenced at Jinja Airstrip on Tuesday.
The suspect identified as Mr Kibirango Jastus Arseman, 21, a resident of Najjembe Town Council in Buikwe District, reportedly offered Shs10,000 to the officer as a bribe.
Asked why he attempted to bribe the UPDF officer at the rank of Major, Kibirango said he was late and his colleagues had already left him yet he desperately wanted to join the force.
UPDF spokesperson for Jinja Zone, Lt Jude Wandera confirmed the arrest of the suspect, saying he would be handed over to the police.
“You cannot bribe a UPDF officer. This exercise has been clearly announced and there was no money element indicated in the announcement,” he said.
Lt Wandera said they only wanted 290 applicants from Busoga sub-region and greater Mukono, however, some of the applicants who had not been shortlisted also showed up for interviews.
The nationwide exercise is targeting 10,000 LDU recruits who will be distributed for training in the various army training institutions and colleges across the country.
The head of the recruitment exercise Col Saad Katemba said the applicants are going to be subjected to various medical checkups to confirm their health status.
“We need officers who are physically fit and in health conditions. Those found healthy qualify and if the number needed is not achieved we shall consult the authority for guidance,” he said.
