I thought I was about to die - Zaake
Mityana Member of Parliament Francis Zaake. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Mr Sseggona, who is also the Busiro East MP, said the head of CID Grace Akulo, the Inspector General of Police Martins Okoth-Ochola, the head of the special investigation unit, Elly Womanya, are liable for contempt of court.
- Police spokesperson had initially denied torture claims raised by Mr Zaake.
Mityana Member of Parliament Francis Zaake has said at some point he thought his life was ending during the time of his custody in three detention centres.
Speaking from his hospital bed at Rubaga yesterday, Mr Zaake said he was tortured right from his home all the way to the Mityana police, chieftaincy of Military intelligence, special investigation Unit at Kireka and at the court in Mityana.
Mr Zaake, 29, is now hospitalised at Surgical Ward in Rubaga hospital where he was taken on Friday last week from Kiruddu hospital.
In Kiruddu, he spent one day, and due to a deteriorating situation, he had been on life support before transfer.
Mr Zaake was arrested from his constituency, on April 19 accused of giving food against a presidential directive banning gatherings as a way to fight Covid-19.
In a recount to his ordeal the legislator said: “But God is still on my side, I have crossed the line - from the death point to staying alive.”
The MP says his sight was affected after glue-like substances were poured into his eyes.
Mr Zaake said: “There was a moment I stopped to feel the pain. I kept looking at my tormentors. Pretty brutal guys.”
“One police officer who removed me from the ambulance at Mityana court plucked out the cannula and threw away the drip. He said there were no cameras and asked me to do anything I wanted,” he said.
He said although they arrested him for giving food to the vulnerable electorate, during detention, “they kept pressing me to abandon politics and do business with my father”.
Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga visited him over the weekend. In Parliament yesterday, Ms Kadaga directed the Minister of Internal Affairs to appear before Parliament on Thursday this week to explain what happened to Mr Zaake.
“I visited Hon Zaake, he was tortured, we want these culprits behind his torture disciplined,” she said.
His team of lawyers including Medard Sseggona, Asuman Basalirwa and Marvin Ssaasi have said they will sue the security officials, individually.
Mr Sseggona, who is also the Busiro East MP, said the head of CID Grace Akulo, the Inspector General of Police Martins Okoth-Ochola, the head of the special investigation unit, Elly Womanya, are liable for contempt of court.
Police spokesperson had initially denied torture claims raised by Mr Zaake.
