Richard Okello, a former teacher at Seeta Junior School, Mbalala Campus through his lawyers Alliance Advocates has petitioned the Director of Public Prosecution to intervene in his wrangle with State Minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo.
The wrangle is as a result of Okello exposing Muyingo’s Seeta Junior School for involving in examination malpractice in the recently concluded Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
Okello said that Muyingo ordered for his arrest after finding out that he acted a whistle blower in the arrest of fellow teachers only identified as Ekaju and Odeke during the seating of this year’s PLE exams at the school.
According to the petition, Okello tipped Commissioner CID Administration Richard Mwesigye (was in charge of the scouting team at the school) about the malpractice that was going on at the school.
Mwesigye immediately acted and arrested the two teachers who were implicated and on further search mobile phones that were used to circulate and leak the exams were recovered.
Okello alleged that they also found out that the two teachers had also shared the examinations with others school that included; Global Junior School, Mukono Junior School, and Shiloh Junior School Jinja among other schools.
However, when the Minister learnt about the arrest of his teachers, he used his power and secured them bail. A day later he ordered his bodyguard to arrest Okello.
“On November 6, 2019, Okello was reportedly arrested by the bodyguard of Mr Muyingo from Seeta Junior School-Mbalala Campus staff quarters and has been detained and transferred to various Police stations of Mukono Central Police Station, Katwe Police station and Jinja road Police station.” reads in part of the petition.
“Our client strongly believes that he is unfairly and illegally detained because he exposed examination malpractice in Seeta Junior School. He believes that the trumped up charges brought against him are a mere cover-up for heinous crime of cheating national exams for which Seeta Junior School teachers should be held culpable,” the lawyers wrote.