“People squeezed me tight and shoved me; I almost fell down, but in the process, I felt my wallet being pinched. I could not tell who snatched it. It contained my particulars and Shs200,000,” he said.
It was not immediately possible to establish the contents of Bishop Wanok’s wallet that was also reportedly snatched.
Video saves the day
A videographer who had perched by the cathedral’s windows and did an aerial filming of the burial proceedings.
In the video that panned Brother Betini’s position, a man is seen pressing against the clergy and leaving hurriedly as people scrambled to have a last glimpse at the remains of the bishop.
Although the gates remained sealed, the video prompted police to halt the checks and mount a manhunt for the suspected pickpocket only identified as Ongom. He was one of the porters working at the cathedral.
Lira Cathedral Church is undergoing renovation in preparation for the celebration of its golden jubilee in November this year.
“He is one of the porters working at the site here and we found on him the exact amount of money that Brother Betini claimed was lost,” Mr Tubanone said.
He said the wallet was found in the church as bishops and politicians laid their wreaths.
