Police warn DPC Kirumira over resigning through media

Police have hit back at the Buyende District Police Commander Muhammad Kirumira over statements made in the media regarding his resignation.

Kirumira on Wednesday morning used social media to announce that he was resigning from the force following the police tribunal charging him of both criminal and disciplinary charges.

The police spokesperson Emilian Kayima in a statement released Wednesday evening said the police officer's actions are scandalous and cannot be tolerated in the force.

READ:

DPC Kirumira charged with 6 counts

Mr Kirumira was arraigned before police tribunal at Police Headquarters in Naguru on Tuesday and charged with torture, extortion, corruption, bribery, unlawful arrests and excessive use of authority

"When the full wrath of the law weighs on you, it will be you alone to tell the story and you will need no sympathy," Mr Kayima warned Mr Kirumira in the statement.

The Police Act provides guidelines for an officer to resign which include writing to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Internal Affairs, which request is discussed and cleared in the Police Authority chaired by the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Mr Kayima said instead of following the laid down procedures, Mr Kirumira has contravened the code of conduct of any serving police officer.

"He has even gone ahead to grant interviews to some media houses which is an act of indiscipline and totally contravenes the code of conduct of serving police officers," Mr Kayima added.

Kirumira, however, says if he has committed any crime by making media statements, it should be added on his charge sheet.

"If anyone feels that by me saying this I have committed a crime, let them add it on the other ones. I want to leave the force a clean man," Mr Kirumira said.

Mr Kirumira who is at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) was a week ago

DPC Kirumira charged with 6 counts

Mr Kirumira was arraigned before police tribunal at Police Headquarters in Naguru on Tuesday and charged with torture, extortion, corruption, bribery, unlawful arrests and excessive use of authority

for crimes allegedly committed in 2013 and 2014 when he was in charge of Nansana Police station and Old Kampala police station respectively.

Kirumira pleaded not guilty to the charges ranging from torture, extortion, corruption, bribery, unlawful arrests and excessive use of authority.

He also faces charges of neglect of duty and corruption practices contrary to Section 44(1) Code 23(a) and discreditable or irregular conduct contrary to Section 44(1) Code 12 of the Police Act.

The cases of extortion and torture being preferred against Kirumira have been under investigations by the Professional Standards Unit (PSU) for years.

In fact, the officer who has grown through the ranks from a police constable in the last eight years, was in 2014 suspended for allegedly torturing a suspect and cutting off his finger.

The suspect was months later shot at while he was robbing a mobile money shop in Bweyogerere and the late AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi re-instated Kirumira before his case was closed.

Before threatening to resign, Kirumira had said he was being witch-hunted by police officers from various units who had been beneficiaries of the crime in Nansana