Police vehicles grounded: Gerari

Popondetta police vehicles have been grounded due to an outstanding maintenance bill of over K100,000, Northern provincial police commander (PPC) Chief Inspector Lincoln Gerari says.
Gerari told The National that four of the five police vehicles were not roadworthy and were grounded.
He said the bills for servicing the vehicles were sent to the police headquarters in February but nothing was done.
“The Rosrex Mechanical Workshop in Popondetta which services all our vehicles has refused to do any more work for us because we owe them K100,000,” Gerari said.
“We do not have any vehicles left to attend to complaints.
“We only have the PPC’s vehicle which I have given to the officers to use and I have been walking to work every day.
“We are in a desperate situation and our calls to police headquarters have fallen on deaf ears.”
He said at the moment, it was quiet in the province but there was no guarantee that the situation would remain that way.
Gerari said with just one vehicle, they could not do much and was hoping the situation would improve soon.
Police transport director Orly Alvarez confirmed that they owed the workshop money, but assured that the bill would be settled this week.
He said the total bill was about K33,000 and that the delay in payment was from the Treasury Department.
“Their problem is they do not send us the invoice on time. They are expected to send the bill on the 25th of every month,” Alvarez said.
“I have spoken to the workshop to service the vehicles.”