Torit State MPs demand suspension of police commissioner

Members of the Torit State assembly have demanded the authorities concerned to suspend the state police commissioner Khamis Mazika over alleged involvement in disappearance of five vehicles.

Members of the Torit State assembly have demanded the authorities concerned to suspend the state police commissioner Khamis Mazika over alleged involvement in disappearance of five vehicles.

The decision was reached during an extraordinary sitting of the state legislative assembly held in Torit town on Monday.

Lawmakers had, on November 27, summoned the police commissioner together with the local government minister to appear before the assembly on December 2, but the former failed to honour the summon.

Speaking during Monday’s parliamentary sitting, the acting speaker, Angela Ajana Pio tasked local government minister, Okidimoi Ugura to explain the whereabouts of five police vehicles, three generators and 12 solar panels.

“Hon. Minister, we summoned you and the commissioner of police to answer certain questions and since the commissioner is not around, you can take your concerns when I am reading this kind of things. There are lots of assets like cars, generators and solar panels missing,” Ajana said.

Okidimoi thanked MPs for raising issues on the missing assets, but denied his ministry’s involvement in the matter.

The minister told lawmakers the relationship between the police and his ministry had deteriorated to the extent that both institutions do not coordinate for unexplained reasons.

When contacted through the state police spokesperson, Major Gen. Khamis Mazika declined to speak to the media.

Khamis has been police commissioner of Torit State since 2016.