A retired judge’s misery – Part II

In Part I, the financial hardships of a retired judge were revealed. The risks, dangers, insults and abuses of some retired judges received from disgruntled and unpaid security police guards with affected judges complaints ignored are revealed in this part.

With regard to this particular columnist, I have been assaulted at least on two occasions, forcefully kidnapped and taken to safe premises while my security resident guards on duty looked on and did nothing to stop them and in similar incidents, they aided the kidnappers.

Two of my former police guards have stolen from me, including one theft involved the opening of my DHL parcel containing some valuables which he took and threw away. When I reported them to their supervisor, Commandant at the Judiciary, she congratulated them for stealing from a judge she resents because he is always insulting Police accusing them of corruption.

Following receipt of her condemnation of me, I invited her for counselling because I thought there was something wrong with her mental balance, she refused to meet me and when I personally went to her place of work she adamantly refused to meet me even though I was accompanied by her colleague.

I then secured an appointment with the IGP for further counselling and invited her to accompany me on the appointed time. We waited for more than an hour and while we were chatting and discussing other matters, she turned up with 2x4 envelopes and handed one to me and another to the IGP personal assistant.

On opening mine, I was amazed by the contents she was accusing me and exonerating the corrupt and untrained police of wrongdoing. I reported the matter to the IGP who telephoned me personally expressing shock and that immediate disciplinary action would be taken against her.

I was later told that no action has ever been taken against her and she is still in her post and station even though the IGP personal assistant assured me on phone that she will be disciplined.

Ironically, I have been and continued being a training instructor of VIPP/counter security police recruited by the NRM government.

Until recently, when a new supervisor became responsible for my security guards, and carefully selected disciplined ones, I had hardly slept because I had to organise my own security guard and a bodyguard who were civilians.
To discredit some of us, there seems to be conspiracy among the police corrupt elements by allocating untrained and most indisciplined culprits presented as police constables.

Many police officers including security guards have openly reported these culprits masquerading as Police with connivance or knowledge of their supervisors. According to information available, many present or buy forged certificates and ranks.
They are the same ones in the racket of loitering or telling lies about judges. Only recently, the IGP, Ochola moaned with great disappointment about corruption in the Police. Only last Sunday, New Vision gave details and photographed some of the culprits when dealing with police bond.

To add insult to injury, the Judiciary’s administration has weaknesses. Corrupt ways have led it to assist the perpetuation of this sad state of affairs.
The retired judges’ allowances including security guard allowances have been paid to the retired judge until April last year, this is logical because it is a retired Judge who knows his own security and how the guards perform duties at his residence.

An obvious fact because he is the only one who knows their acts and behaviour because he is with them all the time. However, there is evidence that officials in the Judiciary and VIPPU divert retired judges’ guards allowances for their own needs, that is why they are not paid and are in arrears for months.

As I speak now, my own guards have not been paid for three consecutive months. I have been personally paying from my own retirement benefits and other savings, provide or buy them lunches and dinners, financial assistance, transportation and occasionally paying for the medical treatment of my Police guards.

Retired Judges have had to go to courts to have their entitlements enforced. Others have appealed to both the President and Prime Minister’s Offices, the Chief Justice, Principal Judge and IGG to alleviate their agonies. Apart from the first two mentioned high offices of state, the Principle Judge and IGG who have occasionally intervened, the rest seemed not to be bothered or interested in solving the retired Judges miseries. We have been forced to appeal to other institutions such as Public Service Commission, Law Society, NGOs and the Media to help us.