Tough Times; Test rules out mental illness of killer cop

An initial medical test  conducted by the police has indicated that 30-year-old Constable Ivan Wabwire who on Friday shot an Indian money lender has a sound mind.

Updating the country on the status of investigations on Monday, police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said after the arrest of Wabwire from Busia as he tried to cross to neighbouring Kenya, he was subjected to a medical test by their surgeon whose results came out negative.

“At the time of arrest he was in good shape and sound.We have  so far we examined him and found that he is very normal and sound,” Enanga told journalists.

Wabwire on Friday shot dead Uttam Bhandari, the proprietor and manager of TFS Financial Services at Raja Chambers along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala over shs2, 130,000 he owed the money lender.

The chilling footage captured by CCTV cameras inside the room in which the incident happened showed Wabwire fire multiple rounds of bullets at close range towards Uttam Bhandari the director of TFS Financial Services.

The police officer was later captured returning to finished off the Indian money lender.

The incident which has further opened the debate over gun violence in the country.

On Saturday, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango said Wabwire had a medical problem and because of this, he had been forbidden  from holding a gun.

“Due to the suspect’s medical conditions, Police management at CPS Kampala had taken a decision about six years ago not to arm the suspect with a gun and they have been deploying him in beats that doesn’t require him to be armed ,” Onyango said without divulging details about the medical condition.

However, on Monday, the police spokesperson said whereas the initial test by the surgeon had indicated that Wabwire was in sound mind, they are going to subject him to a psychiatric test to further ascertain his mental status.

“There are different medical examinations that can help us determine person’s mental status.  It can be done by police or a competent surgeon but best record comes from a psychiatric who is an expert is mental health but the first report from the medical surgeon indicates the officer is very normal and very sound .There are areas a person can be on and off. It depends at what stage he is being examined.”

Earlier, President Museveni had demanded answers to how Wabwire whom had been described as having a problem, ended up with a gun that he later used to shoot dead an Indian money lender.