Police has broken silence on the ‘escape’ of Mityana municipality MP, Francis Zaake from custody as alleged by President Yoweri Museveni.
Zaake was reported to have been arrested on Monday of last week in Arua when chaos broke out on the last day of campaigning during the Arua municipality by-election. But his whereabouts remained unknown until 5 days later, on Saturday when it emerged that he was admitted at Rubaga hospital in Kampala.
Pictures taken by some of the people who visited him showed him on life support equipment. Those who visited him said much of his body was bruised. Earlier pictures circulated on social media before his admission to Rubaga Hospital was known also showed Zaake with bruised fingers and a swollen face.
But on Sunday, President Museveni shocked many when he revealed in a statement that Zaake had escaped from custody and that Police was searching for him.
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A day after the MPs were arrested in Arua, a credible senior officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told this news site that Zaake escaped from custody with the help of “some networks.”
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Images taken by several people including Dr. Stella Nyanzi, Bishop Zac Niringiye and Minister Aidah Nantaba showed a face of Zaake without bruises. Some Ugandans celebrated the smile on Zaake’s face saying he was recovering while others wondered how one with a sore face would heal in one or two days and bruises on the face disappear.
On Monday, when asked by reporters to comment about the Zaake situation and whether indeed the legislator escaped, Police spokesperson, SSP Emilian Kayima said: “He [Zaake] was aided to escape only to hear that he was in Rubaga. He was not dumped. That should go on the record”.
When reports about Zaake being hospitalized in Rubaga hospital first surfaced, there were claims that he had been “dumped” there by a security vehicle, but no picture or evidence to that effect was shared.
“He had wanted to see a doctor. He said he had a medical condition, so, he was taken to Arua to the hospital. Either he escaped or he was aided to escape and he surfaced in Rubaga hospital,” Kayima said.
Asked which security agency in particular had arrested Zaake, the Police mouthpiece responded broadly saying the MP was apprehended by security.
He said that the Mityana municipality MP was among the MPs and other suspects that were arrested during an operation in Arua early last week.
Regarding the fate of the MP, Kayima said; “They are giving him treatment, let him receive his treatment, the other details will come”.
“Either himself or his driver or the person who aided him to escape,” Kayima said when asked who delivered Zaake to the hospital.
