Police boss Baguma under probe over threatening DPP

Kampala- Kampala Central Police Station commander Aaron Baguma, who is facing trial over murder, is now being investigated by the Police Professional Standards Unit (PSU) over information that he has threatened to harm a senior state attorney who drafted the charges against him.

The police deputy spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police Polly Namaye, told Daily Monitor by telephone yesterday that senior state attorney Samali Wakoli had reported to the PSU a case of threatening violence against Mr Baguma.

Ms Namaye also confirmed that Mr Baguma has since recorded a statement at the PSU in response to the allegations against him. She said police were waiting for Ms Wakoli to give them further details about the alleged threats by commander Baguma.

However, Ms Namaye declined to disclose what Mr Baguma said in his statement at PSU regarding the allegations against him. She argued that the matter was still under investigation.

“I can confirm that there is a complaint filed against Baguma by state attorney Samali Wakoli for having intentions of harming her. She (Ms Wakoli) said she got information late last year from different reliable people that Baguma intended to harm her and as PSU, we sent our team to the DPP’s [Directorate of Public Prosecutions] office to understand more about the nature of the threats but she has been hesitant,” said Ms Namaye.

“We wanted to find out from her who had given her the information that Baguma intended to harm her but we are still encouraging her to get us that information so that we can investigate this complaint comprehensively. As per now, the information is still lacking and we have not yet made headway,” Ms Namaye added.

She also said personal security of the state prosecutor has been beefed up although she was quick to attribute Ms Wakoli’s bolstered security was prompted by the gunning down of senior principal state attorney Joan Kagezi last year.

Kagezi was shot by two assailants who had trailed her on a boda boda as she returned home in Kiwatule, a Kampala suburb.

Wanted murder suspect ASP Baguma

Mr Baguma has since December been wanted by the DPP to be charged in court with the murder of city businesswoman Betty Katushabe, who was killed last year over an unresolved Shs9m debt for a vehicle she had bought from Pine car depot in Kampala.

On December 18 last year, the DPP wrote to the Resident State Attorney at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court, directing that Mr Baguma be jointly charged with Muhammed Ssebuwufu, the proprietor of Pine car depot, who also has already been charged with the murder.

The prosecution states that Mr Baguma went to the scene of murder, a few metres away from his duty station at Central Police Station, found the deceased being beaten by the accused persons and despite her pleadings to him to rescue her from her tormentors, he simply asked her to pay Ssebuwufu’s debt. It is stated that Baguma left the place and Katushabe was killed shortly after.
It is against this background that the DPP holds Mr Baguma criminally liable since his duty as a police officer is to protect life and property.

However, despite the DPP’s directive to police to arrest Mr Baguma and have him charged in court three months ago, nothing has happened. Officials privy to the investigations of the case say senior police management is shielding Mr Baguma from prosecution and that no police officer is ready to arrest him as directed.

The police senior management has since defended Mr Baguma on account that he was instead a whistle-blower in the murder, who helped police to identify those who murdered the deceased.

In a related development, two more suspects have been charged before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court in connection with the same murder. They are: Mr Yoweri Katayomba and Mr Damasen Sentongo, both car dealers.

The original murder file has five suspects: Mr Ssebuwufu, currently on remand at Luzira prison, who was recently committed to the High Court for trial, Mr Paul Tasingika, Mr Godfrey Kayiza, Mr Phillip Mirambe and Mr Stephen Lwanga.

Prosecution states that late last year, the suspects while using sticks and a machete (panga), beat and cut Katushabe to death for failing to clear Shs9m which was a balance on a car she had bought from Ssebuwufu’s car depot.

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