The DPC of Buyende district, ASP Muhammad Kirumira has vowed to put up a spirited legal challenge against what he called trumped up charges by the Police administration against him.
Kirumira who has served in the Police Force for the last 12 years made a shocking revelation on Wednesday when he announced he had resigned from Police. He said he was being falsely accused by his antagonists within the Police for crimes he did not commit.
The Senior police officer faces charges of; neglect of duty, discreditable or irregular conduct, torture, extortion, corruption, bribery, unlawful arrests and excessive use of authority.
He allegedly committed the offences when he was in-charge of Nansana Police Station in Wakiso District and Old Kampala as division police commander in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Speaking to the press hours after reports about his resignation came out, Kirumira said he was lining up top lawyers in he city to mount a legal battle against the Police which he said lacked a shred of evidence to back their claims.
“I have put together a team of the best lawyers in town including Jude Mbabali with instructions to begin building a case and filing my letter of resignation which will also seek my gratuity for the 12 years I have served,” Kirumira said.
“I will even hire other lawyers like Erias Lukwago, Medard Ssegona, Abdu Katuntu and Kiryowa Kiwanuka if I have to. This will be a legal battle and I will win because Police has no substantial evidence against me. They will be ashamed”.
He wondered why he was individually being witch hunted yet there are police officers who have openly assaulted and brutalized civilians but have gone scotch free.
“A police officer attached to Wandegeya police station beat up Besigye [opposition leader] but he was not charged. Police officers assaulted counsel Abdullah Kiwanuka and tore his clothes but none of them was charged by Police,” he questioned.
“Mayor Lukwago was recently assaulted by police officers in a humiliating manner with no action being taken, but I am being accused. Is the law one sided?”
He also criticized the Police disciplinary tribunal before which he was charged, for denying him his constitutional right to be represented by a lawyer.
Kirumira said that the tribunal and Police Disciplinary guidelines contravene with the constitution since the evidence admissible does not necessarily have to be beyond reasonable doubt.
“I understand the law and if the tribunal denies me representation by a lawyer, I will petition the High Court,” he said.
The infuriated DPC Kirumira exposed the filth within the Police, citing nepotism, impunity, poor remuneration of high ranking officers, corruption, torture and murder perpetrated by officers.
“I am not surviving on Police meagre pay of Shs 600,000 a month. Even the porter that builds my house does not earn Shs 20,000 which is given to a civil servant at a rank of a DPC,” he said.
He said that one of the persons he is accused of torturing died and he was killed by officers attached to the Police Flying Squad.