The Police Crime Investigations Department (CID) has transferred three officers within the department who engaged in the complication of a case in which a fisherman in Katosi Town Council was murdered.
The transferred CID officers include; Justus Twongirwe who has been the CID Officer in charge of Kampala Metropolitan East, the Mukono Division CID Officer Musa Zziwa and the Investigating officer in the case. Twongirwe has been transferred to Rwenzori Region in Kasese.
The allegations that the senior police criminal investigations officers in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan East jurisdiction have been forcing a family to settle the case for sh500,000 as compensation of a murdered relative have left dwellers in the Mukono area dismayed, wondering if justice can be served in such fragile situations.
Fred Ntambi (37) of Nakitokota landing site in Kizaalabuganda village, was brutally attacked and tortured to death by a gang from Mbeya Island, also situated in Katosi town council on March 23, 2023.
His family has since his demise been asking the Uganda Police Force through its outreaches in Katosi and the main Mukono Police to expedite investigations into the alleged killing. However, the force has been playing hide and seek games, leaving the arrested suspects not prosecuted, and differing justice for the deceased.
The community and family accused Justus Twongirwe, the Officer In charge of criminal investigations in the Kampala Metropolitan East Policing area, Giibe Nampina, the Investigating Officer at the Jinja road Police and John Tebamuleke, the Officer in Charge of Katosi police station of deliberately trying to fail investigations into the case. The officers are also said to have persistently pressurized the victim’s family to negotiate with the suspects for a paltry sh500,000 settlement.
The agitated fishermen and family members now want the Police Professional Standards Unit to intervene and take disciplinary action against the officers for misconduct and abuse of power.
They argue that the actions of the officer have compromised the integrity of the justice system, and the perpetrators of the heinous crime may walk free.
Several suspects were arrested following the incident and charged with the murder, but the case has been dragging on since causing frustration among the aggrieved family members, fellow fishermen and local leaders.
They further expressed concern over the Director of Public Prosecution-DPP’s delayed prosecution of suspects in Ntambi’s murder including Yasin Kasirye, Jackson Ssebito (alias ‘Big Pig’), Ntale Ssekatono, Stephen Omondi, Mukiga Mufumbira, Abdul Lwanga and Abdul Ssempiira (Village Vice Chairperson)
Protests erupted since last week over allegations that the police and the Director of DPP are intentionally delaying justice for a murdered fisherman. They allege that the police and DPP conspired to frustrate the justice process.
As a result, suspects in the case have gone for three weeks without trial, leading to outrage and demonstrations.
“The police are deliberately delaying investigations and keeping the suspects in custody without any progress in the case,” says a family member led by Florence Namuju, the deceased’s sister.
They allege that the police have been uncooperative and have not been sharing information regarding the investigation’s progress. The fishing community has further claimed that the suspects have influential connections and that the police are being paid to cover up the murder.
Initially, on April 12, the family petitioned the Police Director of Crime Intelligence- AIGP Brigadier General Chris Sserunjogi Ddamulira who intervened and caused the arrest of seven suspects who are still detained at Jinja Road Police station three weeks after arrest.
Through their lawyers – Ssemengo and company advocates, the family is demanding the DPP to direct police to arraign the suspects in court for trial to prevent miscarriage of justice.
”The suspects have not yet been brought to trial, and it has been almost a month since their arrest, causing significant psychological distress to both the complainant and the deceased person’s family,”
Despite repeated requests to the police to take action and bring the suspects to court, the lawyers say the DPP has consistently refused, disregarded, or rejected these demands, according to an excerpt from the petition obtained by our reporter.
The copy has seals indicating acknowledgement of receipt by the office of the DPP together with other offices copied including the Inspector General of Police, Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, OC CID Regional, Regional State Attorney, OC Crime Intelligence and DPC Mukono.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson says all the arrested suspects are still detained at Jinja Road Police Station as the hunt for others at large is still ongoing.
But the grieving family and locals claim to have witnessed some efforts by the authorities within the police to bury the case and release the suspects through corrupt means.
The accused officers, on the other hand, have denied the allegations, stating that they are baseless and fabricated in an attempt to tarnish their reputation.