The assistant Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Gulu University, Khalid Mahmoud was arrested in Gulu on allegations of defying a presidential directive on distribution of Covid-19 relief food.
Khalid had purchased 2,500 kgs of beans and 1,300 kgs valued at about Shs 10 million that he was planning to distribute to 100 vulnerable people in Pece Pawel Parish, Pece Division in Gulu Municipality.
The intended beneficiaries included the elderly, orphans, child-headed families, widows, widowers, PWDs and the sickly among others. The beneficiaries were registered to receive the food items last week through the office of the area local chairperson.
The distribution of the food relief hit a snag following the arrest of Khalid on Wednesday last week by police led by John Bosco Nyangkol, the officer-in-charge of Gulu central police station.
He was charged with disobedience of lawful orders and was released on Thursday on police bond. At the time of his arrest, Nyangkol said that Khalid had defied the presidential directive banning all forms of gathering and donations of relief items to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Khalid questioned police for his arrest, saying he didn’t defy the presidential directives nor endanger anyone’s life.
“I never disobeyed the president’s directives by distributing food where I gathered people and that is why they are telling me they are charging me with attempted murder. But after reaching the police station and being kept for a full night, I gave a statement later after having slept in prison, they couldn’t charge me with attempted murder,” said Khalid.
