By Samuel Opio
A purported Bobi Wine supporter has dragged the Attorney General and four police officers to the Civil Division of the High Court over torture.
Kasim Migadde, a 30-year-old resident of Kajjansi, wants the four officers reprimanded and be ordered to compensate him individually after they tortured him for wearing a red t-shirt on claims that he was a supporter waiting to welcome Bobi Wine back into the country from US.
The Boda Boda rider accuses the four police officers of irregularly arresting him for wearing a red T-shirt, which is associated with Bobi Wine’s people power movement.
In an affidavit sworn by Migadde he claims he was picked off a motorcycle, handcuffed, beaten and detained in Kajansi Police station.
“I was severely bettered, kicked and tortured by about four officers of the Uganda Police Force who were on duty accusing me of belonging to people power.”
He further went on to identify the officers that tortured him as PPC Oguma Dennis No.67021, Magubo Samuel No.61018, Kanyenya James No. 67584 and D/C Namungongo Dennis No. 66582.
Through his lawyers from Pace Advocates, Migade has filed an affidavit and medical report from Namulunddu Medical Center in Bwebajja Entebbe Road detailing internal injuries he suffered as a result of the torture meted against him on the fateful day.
In the suit the lawyers seek orders declaring the acts of officers at Kajansi police station illegal and detrimental to fundamental rights. They also want the four officers to be ordered to compensate their client for damages caused.
George Musisi the lead lawyer says; “we seek a declaration that the respondent’s acts of slapping, punching and beating of our client is illegal, inhuman and degrading and amounts to abuse of office.”
The four officers have been sued on individual capacity as a way of curtailing other police officers from engaging in extreme violations against unarmed civilians while in their line of duty.
The registry of the civil division of the high court is yet to schedule the matter for hearing.
In September Police was under the spotlight over human rights abuse after a one minute video showing viral brutalizing a suspect went viral.
In the video recorded by an unknown person, police officers at Kajjansi police station were seen beating, slapping and kicking an unidentified man allegedly arrested for putting on a red ‘People power’ T-shirt.
Despite crying out loud and pleading for mercy, the police officers continued with brutality on the suspect who was on handcuffs.
“Who told you people power is real power? Do you see people power here,” one police officer in the video said.
Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima would later say the force had taken note of an unacceptable manner by their officers and had opened investigations into the incident. Police later arrested the suspects.
