FDC to take Besigye tormentors to court

SSP Rashid Agero who brutalised FDC’s former presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, and smashed his car windscreen in Kireka, Kampala, on November 4 . FILE PHOTO

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has resolved to take to court two police officers who brutalised their former presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, on November 4.

The commanders smashed the windscreen of Dr Besigye’s car at Kireka, a Kampala suburb, pepper sprayed inside his car before pulling him out. Dr Besigye was heading to the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi after police blocked their party meeting at Namboole stadium.

Addressing journalists yesterday at the FDC party offices, the party deputy spokesperson, Mr John Kikonyogo, said they have decided to take the two officers to court as individuals.

He named SSP Rashid Agero, who he said smashed Dr Besigye’s car windscreen and ordered his junior officer to pepper spray him and another ACP Dennis Namuwoza.

“The Inspector General of Police, Mr Martins Ochola, in a circular dated July 3, clearly reminded all police officers against such archaic and barbaric acts of torture and affirmed that individual officers would pay their acts at individual level. Unfortunately, even if such rules are issued, the police force seems to have reached a point beyond redemption,” Mr Kikonyogo said.

“The FDC has decided to begin with the most recent top culprits whom we should make sure they pay for their mistakes,” he added.
He said FDC also agreed in their top management meeting last week that the legal department should file the case before the end of this week.

FDC party also asked government to clearly explain the persistent standoff between the government of Uganda and the government of Rwanda.

Mr Kikonyogo said they are concerned with unending disagreements between the two governments which are immensely costing both countries lives and property.

He explained that Ugandans where hopeful that peace was going to prevail after the two countries signed a pact in Angola in August.

“After signing the Memorandum of Understanding in Angola, we thought there would be peace. This was followed up by a meeting in Kigali between the two countries with another follow up meeting which was supposed to be in Kampala this week but it was postponed. Recently, we saw two Ugandans shot in Rwanda,” Mr Kikonyogo said.

“Like we indicates before, there seem to be something that the two countries are hiding and probably the bilateral meetings they are conducting are just cover ups. We need an explanation of what is happening, “ he added.

The meeting that was supposed to take place in Kampala yesterday between the two governments was postponed at Rwanda’s request until further notice.

Turmoil
Trouble started after security blocked a planned FDC party conference that was scheduled to take place at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole. Heavily armed police and military officers cordoned off the stadium and turned away whoever approached the facility.
The angered FDC party members decided to march in a procession from the stadium to their party headquarters in Najjanankumbi but were intercepted by police who tried to disperse them on the busy Kampala-Jinja Highway.