KAMPALA.
Police will not produce former Kampala Central Police Station commander, Aaron Buguma, in court on murder charges without receiving criminal summons.
Ms Polly Namaye, the deputy police spokesperson, said Mr Baguma, whom the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) ordered to be produced in court, has never been served with criminal summons.
“The police has never received criminal summons for Mr Baguma neither him. For him to appear before court he must have received the summons and acknowledged receipt by signing on them,” Ms Namaye said.
Mr Baguma is accused alongside other suspects of arresting and torturing a businesswoman, Donah Katushabe, to death after she failed to pay a balance of Shs9m on a car she purchased in October last year.
On July 21, the DPP, Justice Mike Chibita, gave the police a two-week ultimatum to produce Mr Baguma before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court on murder charges.
However, the ultimatum expired without Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headed by Ms Grace Akullo producing him in court.
When Ms Namaye was asked on whether the DPP had issued a directive to present him in court, she said “It is not me to answer that. What I know is that criminal summons has neither been served to us nor Mr Baguma.”
Asked whether sending Mr Baguma a murder suspect and other senior officers facing charges of neglect of duty and discrediting the police image in the criminally and disciplinary court won’t affect the proceedings, Ms Namaye said: “Bwebajja is not 100km away. The officers can appear in criminally and disciplinary courts whenever they are needed for court.”
Similarly, Ms Namaye said Gen Kayihura will not appear before Makindye Magistrate’s Court to plead to charges of torture until criminals summons have been served to him.
Gen Kayihura and other senior police officers are expected tomorrow to appear before court to plead to charges of torturing supporters of former FDC presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye.
“Up now we read criminal summons in newspapers but they have not been served to the IGP. He should be served with the summons and signs on the acknowledging receipt,” Ms Namaye said.
jkato@ug.nationmedia.com
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