Police Drop 18 Counts Against Kirumira for Lack of Evidence

Police have dropped some of the counts on charges previously labelled against former Buyende DPC, ASP Muhammad Kirumira citing the lack of evidence.

In the court sitting on Tuesday at the Naguru Police headquarters, prosecution said it did not have substantial evidence to pin Kirumira on some of the offences he is accused of committing.

Subsequently, a total of 18 counts were dropped. These are part of the charges relating to stealing a Rolex (snack containing chapati and eggs) and charges of unlawful use of authority and corrupt tendencies.

At the previous court sitting, crime preventer identified at Joseph Bukenya accused Kirumira of forcefully eating his rolex when he was still O.C Nansana in 2013.

Bukenya said that despite his efforts to demand for the money for the rolex Kirumira had eaten, he refused to pay.

However, on Tuesday, the witness did not turn up for the hearing and the 18 counts were dropped. But the four counts that he is facing still stand.

The embattled police officer was arrested weeks ago following his unprecedented announcement that he had resigned from the Police.

Kirumira said he was being wrongfully harassed by his Seniors whom he accused of tramping up charges against him yet he has served diligently to rid Kampala of criminal elements.

He is accused of torture, of suspects, corruption, bribery, extortion, unlawful arrest and excessive use of authority. Other charges include neglect of duty and discreditable or irregular conduct.

Dropping of the 18 counts follows the previous dismissal of 2 counts of discreditable conduct against the accused after witnesses including Milton Tumusiime, a former Red Pepper journalist failed to show up in police court threatening to turn hostile.