Fr. Dominic Alinga, a Catholic priest and the main suspect in the murder of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) employee John Bosco Ngorok, has been moved from Tororo Central Police Station to Entebbe.
This follows his voluntary surrender to Tororo Police on Sunday afternoon after initially going into hiding following the incident on Saturday.
Incident Details
Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma provided details on Monday: “On August 3, 2024, at around 1:50 am, Police received a report of a suspected murder along the road from Kitooro to Entebbe International Airport.
The victim was identified as John Bosco Ngorok, a 30-year-old employee of the URA domestic tax department.”
Ngorok was found with stab wounds to his neck and head. He was rushed to Entebbe Grade B Hospital by the Police but was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.
The Police immediately began investigating and tracking the suspect.
Background on the Suspect
Rusoke added, “The key suspect is Fr. Dominic Alinga, a priest at the Catholic Parish Church of Irirri in Nakapiripirit district. Alinga had earlier been suspended from the church by the bishop on allegations of stealing offertory worth six million shillings.”
Ngorok was a member of the Moroto Diocese and a choir trainer. Allegedly, Ngorok had lent 11 million shillings to the priest, which Alinga failed to repay, leading to friction that ended tragically.
Alinga’s Messages and Suicide Concerns
Following the incident, Alinga sent messages to close family members detailing what transpired on that Friday evening.
He denied stabbing Ngorok, claiming that Ngorok had stabbed himself. The messages, which also distributed his properties and asked family members to trace assets he left to third parties, caused panic among his friends and family, who feared he was contemplating suicide.
They reached out to influential Karamoja leaders for help.
Intervention by Faith Nakut
Napak Woman Member of Parliament Faith Nakut played a critical role in persuading Alinga to surrender to the Police.
Nakut confirmed that Alinga’s friends and relatives contacted her, and she advised them to encourage Alinga to report himself to the Police for his safety.
“There are people he sent those audio recordings to. Those are the people who called me and they didn’t know what to do for a man who wanted to commit suicide. My advice to them was for him to report himself to the Police and that is the only way he would keep himself safe. I am happy he did that,” Nakut said.
Ongoing Investigation
Detectives have secured some CCTV footage and recovered the alleged murder weapon. Key footage includes recordings from Peniel Beach Hotel, where the suspect and the deceased spent their last moments, Police camera recordings, and footage from the area along the UN offices in Entebbe where the stabbing allegedly took place.
They have also secured Ngorok’s car, which Alinga allegedly used to run over him, and the motorcycle that Ngorok reportedly knocked as he tried to flee the scene. Statements have been recorded from hotel staff and other witnesses.
Crime Scene Reconstruction
Detectives are interrogating Alinga to piece together the events leading to Ngorok’s death. A detective confirmed they plan to take Alinga to the crime scene to assist in reconstructing the incident.
Funeral Arrangements
Ngorok will be buried today in Nakapiripirit district.
