‘We do not know who re-arrested MPs’ - Police

Members of parliament have expressed dissatisfaction in the Police Criminal Investigations Department over failure to identify the department among the security forces that rearrested MPs Allan Ssewanyana and Muhammed Ssegirinnya.

This was as the force led by the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola appeared before the committee on defence chaired by Sheema district woman member of parliament Rose Mary Nyakikongoro.

What irked the members most was the fact that the deputy director CID Paul Kato could not reveal the abductors of the outspoken opposition legislators.

This was on the backdrop of queries from Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende, Rubabo county MP, Naboth Namanya and Buhweju county mp Francis Mwijukye.

‘For the rearrests Police was not involved, we later received them as police,that means we know who arrested them. Those that brought them are our sister security agencies and they have the rights to arrest and every citizen in Uganda has a right to arrest’ said Paul Kato when tasked to explain.

It was amid a heated argument and calls to the Chairperson to detain him that the chairperson reigned to appeal to members to allow the Deputy CID to explain.

‘Members I pray that we do not dive into the details of these issues because they are in court and we do not want to interfere with investigations because they are more specific. Let us proceed with the general overview of how the conduct of arrest was since it was not good, the way they were driving as we all saw it .In fact we are calling upon the Police to really take charge of your sector.’  

‘Give me the chance to go and crosscheck and find out, we interrogated them in the presence of their lawyers and we are the people who took them to court’ Kato Said.

It is this committee which can prevail over that agency and so we want to know which agency is this tainting the image of the Police! Is it ISO, ESO,VISO and the like, asked the Mukono North MP,Abdulla Kiwanuka.

Police’s Political Commissor, Asan Kasingye appealed to the members to grant Kato time because there were issues that come to the committee because a witness or member may not have the actual information and might cause unnecessary incidents.

‘I think you are making the officer uncomfortable, I am requesting that you give him time so he can put it in writing then send it to you. Kasingye