{UAH} Allan/Gook/Pojim/WBK: Troubled Uganda police chief faces legal, public opinion court - News
|
6:26 AM |
No comments |
Troubled Uganda police chief faces legal, public opinion court
Uganda's Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura. His private prosecution arises from beatings police meted out on supporters of opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye following his release on bail July 12, 2016. PHOTO | FILE
Security around the residence of Uganda's Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura in the upmarket Muyenga suburb was increased on Thursday evening, with guns pointed towards the road, as speculation mounted on what was next for Uganda's police chief of 11 years.
Gen Kayihura, appointed police chief in 2005, became the second senior army officer to head the Uganda Police Force after current Chief of Defence Forces Gen Katumba Wamala, and is now the longest serving police chief.
Over 11 years, his leadership has come to be defined by an implacable hostility to political demonstrations and it was, therefore, poetic justice that placard-waving protesters tried to block a private criminal case he is facing over accusations of brutal assaults on opposition demonstrators.
His bosses in the executive remained firm in their support for the army general while the other two arms of government cried for help.
Earlier Thursday, Chief Justice Bart Katurebe appealed for protection of the courts and court officials following an incident at the Makindye court in which a mob of the IGP's supporters laid siege to the premises and threatened to lynch prosecution lawyers.
The Uganda Law Society condemned the attack on lawyers and the court.
In parliament on Wednesday, MPs equally pleaded for protection and answers from government after another group of protesters supporting the IGP walked to the August House seeking to deliver a petition.
But in parliament, Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, while avoiding naming the police chief praised the police generally for "doing a commendable job in difficult circumstances."
In a telephone interview, Internal Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odong claimed he was not aware of the unfolding events, while his junior Obiga Kania, the Minister of State for Internal Affairs was candid in defence of the police and its troubled boss.
Separately, the police issued a statement claiming the IGP had failed to appear in court because he did not receive summons.
Officially, the police deny their boss had been summoned despite an official of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions arriving at the Makindye court on Wednesday seeking to take over the trial. Uganda law allows the DPP to take over private prosecutions.
The rowdy scenes inside and outside court made it difficult for the hearing to proceed, forcing the magistrate to adjourn it to August 29. But whether Kayihura and seven of his officers appear, the IGP and the force he leads are in the dock and judgement will be made both in the legal court and that of public opinion.
Kayihura's private prosecution arises from the beatings police meted out to supporters of opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye following his release on bail July 12.
Media footage shows that police used sticks to beat supporters and bystanders as Besigye headed home after slightly over two months in prison on treason charges.SEE VIDEO HERE
Protestors said they were unhappy with General Kayihura being singled out for trial for the actions of the police and senior police officers.
But Obiga Kania, the State Minister for Internal Affairs says government "was quite happy" with how the police had dealt with the situation at Makindye Court on August 9, when mobs protesting the criminal prosecution attempted to beat up lawyers and to barricade the magistrate's chambers.
"Police did very well protecting the magistrate and lawyers for the prosecution, so we are quite happy with the institution," Mr Kania told The EastAfrican in a telephone interview Thursday.
Although Mr Kania said the public cannot be stopped from accessing court premises, Chief Justice Bart Katureebe called for the judiciary to be protected from such attacks.
The Uganda Law Society blamed the police for the siege at Makindye court.
Earlier, a lawyer who served on the youth desk of the ruling National Resistance Movement party had filed a petition seeking to block the trial. Robert Rutaro said the IGP and senior police officers would suffer double-jeopardy as an internal disciplinary process was underway over the altercation with opposition supporters.
At Makindye, the protestors were ferried in some allegedly in police trucks or by police. In a corner of the court compound, some writers with marker pens wrote messages in support of Kayihura on manila papers and were left undisturbed in a scene unlike what the country has witnessed in many years as police sought to quell any sort of assembly dispersing them with tear gas, pepper spray, water cannons or more recently, herding sticks.
The protesters later went to the Chief Magistrates' Chambers to stop the court proceedings from taking off. The mob also attempted to beat Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago and prosecution lawyers who locked themselves up in the Chief Magistrate's Court until the uniformed police hustled them out amid verbal attacks and banging on the vehicle that evacuated at least one of the lawyers.
Mr Kania, however, disputes this view arguing that the police did their job when it was required and that interventions before the fighting started would have been uncalled for.
Justice Katureebe said that what happened at Makindye Court was a siege and he has now asked that court premises be protected from similar mobs, which he says intimidated judicial officers.
Justice Katureebe also wants the senior police officers to appear and plead their cases without carrying along the mob as escorts.
The trial of Gen Kayihura and the other police officers is rooted in the Anti-Torture Act which provides for the prosecution of an individual for acts of torture or degrading treatment.
Facing trial with Kayihura are officers Andrew Kaggwa the former South Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commander, Samuel Bamuzibire the former Field Force Unit Commander for KMP, Moses Nanoka ,the former Wandegeya Division Commander and James Ruhweza the Operations Commander KMP. Other officers are Wesley Nganizi former North KMP commander, Patrick Muhumuza former commander in operations of the Field Force Unit and Geoffrey Kaheebwa, the South KMP deputy commander.
The claim that the senior police officers never received the court summons has been disputed by one of the lawyers for the complainants, Nicholas Opiyo.
Mr Opiyo said that the accused police officers were served at Police Headquarters in Naguru and publicly through a widely circulating newspaper. He added that this same method will be used to serve the officers again as the complainant's lawyers are now working to file a letter asking for fresh criminal summons.
If the fresh criminal summons is disobeyed, the next course of action will be to apply for an arrest warrant. On whether the police, which enforces warrants on behalf of the courts, will arrest its own commanders, Mr Opiyo argues that this case is against individuals and expects the force to act professionally and ensure that the rule of law is followed.
Mr Opiyo is also unbothered by the fact that some of the complainants Andrew Sebutisu, Rogers Ddiba and Joseph Kaddu Sekitoleko told a press conference on August 9, that they had pulled out of the case.
"We are unbothered by pronouncements at a press conference because we have no formal withdrawal of oaths and instructions that the complainants gave us to prosecute the case," he said, adding that even without the three, fresh complainants have already come up to be added to this case.
0 comments:
Post a Comment