Former Buyende District Police Commander, ASP Muhammad Kirumira has in a surprise move reversed his prior decision and accepted to attend police court ruling today on several cases against him, even in the absence of the press.
Ruling was meant to be delivered on Tuesday April 17, but the motormouth police officer defied attending proceedings in protest against denying media access to the premises. He described the proceedings as a ‘kangaroo court’ which was trying to hide some facts from the public.
Today, Thursday April 19 is the day court court will rule on the case, but, unlike last time when there was no prior communication, journalists have today been briefed by the Police spokesperson SSP Emilian Kayima and asked to keep away from the court premises promising to brief them after court.
However, on receiving the news, Mr Kirumira who was on his way to court, acknowledged that he was was privy to information that top police officials witch hunting him were planning to arrest his surety Mr Sam Omara for failing to present the suspect.
“I have had that journalists have been denied access again and that a plan was schemed from the police police headquarters to arrest my surety Mr Omara for failing to present the suspect. But, I have skipped their tricks, I will appear in court and I will inform the country on what would have transpired therein,” Kirumira said.
He further reiterated that it is not proper to stop journalists from covering police court proceedings yet it also invites them for briefings whenever it deems it proper.
City Lawyer Julius Galisonga, has rubbished claims of any illegality in barring journalists from attending court proceedings saying that depending on the environment and nature of the case, it is within the mandate of court to decide whether to conduct business in presence of the media or not.
“It is not mandatory that all trials should be conducted in an open court and depending on the circumstances, it can be decided on whether it is held before cameras or not,” the lawyer said.
“I am not privy to the reasons given by the police court, but for cases where emotions are so high for the tribunal to conduct business, it is within their rights to bar the media,” Mr Galisonga said in an interview with the SoftPower News.
He added that “If it was deemed that their presence would jeopardise court proceedings, then it is proper for them to make that decision and remember this is a trial which has been treated with a lot of drama. May be court has projected that their presence would cause harm.”
Mr Kirumira is accused of, among other cases, corruption and excessive use of power at the time when he was the DPC old Kampala police station and OC Nansana police station.