Police Court Convicts Officers for Neglect of Duty During Arua Fracas

Four of the six officers of the Uganda Police Force, have been convicted by Force’s disciplinary court over neglect of duty which led to the stoning of one of President Yoweri Museveni’s cars in Arua last year.

The incident occurred on the last day of campaigns for Arua Municipality MP by-elections in August last year. President Museveni had been in Arua to campaign for the NRM candidate, Nusula Tiperu.

The convicted officers include a one Edward Mugweri, Former DPC Arua Abbasi Ssenyonjo, Former RPC West Nile region SP Jonathan Musinguzi, and Robert Junena Akia, the then Field Force Unit Commander.

They were charged under Section 19 of the Police Code of Conduct.

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Prosecution earlier told court that on August 13, 2018 while deployed on duty, the officers failed to adequately deploy leading to the interruption of the President’s convoy by people on a caterpillar.

Court sitting in Arua and chaired by SCP Denis Ogwong Ondongpiny, ruled that it was a failure on the part of the officers to provide sufficient security along the route used by the President after the campaigns which as a result placed the President’s life in danger.

Court has further ruled that the convicted officers did not deploy enough officers amounting to over 500, who were at their disposal, even after signs of possible chaos were evident.

The Police Court used the evidence provided by Evans Vuata and Allevious Muhoozi, officer of the Police Professional Standards Unit (PSU) and an intelligence officer respectively, to reach the ruling.

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But, during the mitigation process, the police commander asked court to avail them lenient sentences since they are supposed to be key witnesses in the treason case against Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi and other 33 people currently facing charges of treason. The charges against Kyagulanyi and the co-accused also stem from the same incident in Arua.

In praying for a lenient sentence, the convicts argued that they are first time offenders. However, prosecution argued that the officers deserve a severe punishment so as to serve as an example to the rest of the Police officers.

Court will deliver sentence on later today.