Political witch-hunt? MP Odonga Otto claims Deputy IGP Lokech fighting him over election petition against relative Komakech

Aruu County MP Samuel Odonga Otto claims deputy IGP Maj Gen Paul Lokech is fighting him for filing an election petition against his relative Dr Christopher Komakech.

Otto, MP for 20 years, lost his parliamentary seat to Komakech, an independent candidate, in the January 14 election.

Komakech garnered 9,327 votes while Otto managed 5,953.

But Otto is challenging the poll result in court.

On Tuesday, police arrested Otto from Gulu City’s Bomah Hotel.

Police drove Otto to Kampala, and detained him at Jinja Road Police Station.

He faces several charges, including illegal possession of a fire arm.

The MP claims all the charges are politically motivated, and that Maj Gen Lokech has a hand in them.

“Lokech is politically witch-hunting me. I was expecting this. So this is a political witch hunt. The other day they added four charges, today three,” Otto told reporters during his arrest.

“They can do what they want with me, they can even kill me the way they poisoned me at police station but this is a political witch hunt by Deputy Inspector General of Police Major General Paul Lokech and he is using police to solve political problems in Pader and for me, I am ready to go anywhere on whatever charges they want.”

Uganda Police Force, and deputy IGP Lokech are yet to respond to Otto’s claims.