KIKUUBE– Three Hoima Sugar Limited officials in Kikuube district are in trouble over allegations of assaulting a businessman.
The victim, Fred Bakyali, 52, a sugarcane supplier for Kyejonjo Sugar Factory has lodged an assault case against the three at Kikuube police station on Tuesday.
The suspects are Dhamodharah Murugan, a one Veketi [ both are managers in charge of outgrower farmers] and a one Matovu, the company’s sugar field supervisor.
Bakyali who was by press time admitted at Kikuube health center IV in Kikuube trading center was allegedly assaulted on Thursday evening by the suspects.
The trouble started after they found the victim Bakyali loading trucks with sugarcane from the farm of Amos Byarugaba in Mukabara in Kizirafumbi Sub-county, whom Hoima Sugar Ltd officials claimed was their registered farmers.
It is alleged that the Hoima sugar employees attempted to impound the lorries but Bakyali and his colleagues resisted.
Speaking while on sickbed at Kikkube Health Centre IV, the Bakyali said that they were overpowered as his colleagues ran away for safety. He said that the suspects and others beat him even if cried out that they stop.
He explained they accused him of harvesting sugarcane from their registered farmers but Bakyali denied the allegation, saying that the farmers who sold him sugarcane are independent and can supply to any buyer.
Bakyali’s assault case against the three is registered under Kikuube CPS SD REF 38/21/07/22.
However, Veketi denied the allegation of assaulting the Bakyali, saying that claims are aimed at tarnishing their names. He noted that they only tried to block Bakyali and his group from loading sugarcane from their registered farmer.
He accused the Bakyali of conniving with Kyejonjo Sugar Factory to illegally buy sugarcane from their registered suppliers.
The Albertin region spokesperson Julius Hakiiza without giving more details confirmed the reports, adding that police had launched an investigation into the matter.
However, some of the Hoima sugar outgrowers said that several farmers are running away from the sugar manufacturing company due to persistent mistreatment.
Mesach Asab, one of the farmers said that delayed payment for their sugarcane, low prices, delaying to harvest sugarcane, and refusal to buy burnt sugarcanes as some of the factors forcing farmers to sell sugarcanes to Kyenjojo sugar factory and other companies.
https://thecooperator.news/hoima-sugar-company-limited-compensates-four-families/
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