UGANDA: Police quiz Kayihura over Besigye case

By SOLOMON ARINAITWE.

Police yesterday said they had recorded statements from six senior officials, including the Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen Kale Kayihura, in a case where the opposition accuses the Force of malicious damage.

Deputy police spokesperson Vicent Ssekate said the statements from the accused would be submitted to the Nabweru Chief Magistrates Court where opposition pressure group, 4GC and ex-FDC leader Kizza Besigye filed the case. Magistrate Justine Atukwase on March 25 ordered the Kampala Metropolitan North CID Director to establish the role of the police officers in a March 1 attack on an opposition rally by a mob in Kawempe, a Kampala suburb, and submit the report in 14 days. 

The charges were filed by pressure group, For God and My Country (4GC). But even as he spoke about the inquiry yesterday, Mr Ssekate was quick to express cynicism about the success of the probe, saying the refusal by opposition leaders to heed police summonses to appear as witnesses “clearly jeorpadised investigations”.

“We got instructions from the chief magistrate that we should investigate the matter and we exercised due diligence and summoned them to come as witnesses to give us information but they refused and we cannot force them,” Mr Ssekate said.

He added: “What you have to understand is that they were summoned as witnesses and there is no way we can proceed without their information. We wanted very much to get their stand on the matter but since they have refused, we shall submit a report to the magistrate showing the hindrances we have encountered.”

After this newspaper reported about Ms Atukwase’s letter, police summoned Dr Besigye, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and the Kyandodo East MP Ssemujju Nganda, “to help in the investigations ”.

Also summoned were the deputy Lord Mayor, Mr Suleiman Kidandala, Kawempe Councillor Nakato Nusufa, Dr Besigye’s driver, Mr Fred Kato and Shafik Koolo. The seven were supposed to appear at different stations around Kampala.

All the summoned politicians, however, ignored the summonses. Mayor Lukwago yesterday denied receiving summons, saying police is “lying”. “They brought the summons and did not find me here and I have been calling them to bring them back but they have refused,” Mr Lukwago said.

Source: Daily Monitor (03/04/2013): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-quiz-Kayihura-over-Besigye-case/-/688334/1737576/-/u0x0p7/-/index.html