Police beats NBS journalist during arrest of Kifeesi leader
Paddy Sserunjogi also known as Ssobi.
Police on Monday arrested Paddy Sserunjogi also known as Ssobi,the alleged leader of the infamous Kifeesi gang known for terrorising the city.
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Last year, Sobbi held a press conference in which he confessed to journalists of having been behind a number of attacks on the members of the public robbing them before revealing that in some scenarios there were some deaths.
On Monday, police swung into action and arrested Sserunjogi in the middle of an interview with NBSTV at Rose gardens in Kyengera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upjlvaMkTJA
According to police spokesperson, Emilian Kayima,they also arrested Shafiq Kasozi and Twaha Tim who are part of the gang.
"We are investigating the allegations they openly made on television and made rounds on social media,"Kayima said.
"The daunting claims of killing innocent people cannot simply be swept under the carpet. "
In an interview with the media, the group openly confessed to working with some police officers in terrorising the city and its residents.
On these allegations, the police mouthpiece said they will need to establish who in the force work with the group.
Meanwhile, during the scuffle to arrest Ssobi and his group, police beat Twaha Mukiibi, an NBS journalist who was interviewing them.
When asked to comment on the matter,the police spokesperson said he had not been furnished with information in regards the assault.
Mukiibi is currently admitted at Kampala International Hospital.This is not the first time allegations of police working with criminals has surfaced.
Speaking at the funeral of the slain police spokesperson AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi, president Museveni said he had received a number of reports pointing to it.
He said on many occasions when members of the public report criminals to police, they (public) are betrayed by revealing their names to the criminals.
The furious Museveni asked the Inspector General of Police, Gen.Kale Kayihura to clean his house. Paddy Sserunjogi's arrest comes at a time when the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) revealed they were working with him to help them break the criminal syndicate in the city and its surroundings.
"There are rampant carjacking and other crimes in Kampala.You arrest one person but they are connected to several other networks known to each other and are sophisticated,"Col.Kaka Bagyenda, the ISO Director General said last year.
He said that on many occasions these thugs are connected to officers in security agencies who aid them in carrying out the criminality.
"On many occasions the thugs are connected to officers in security agencies.It is a very dangerous flaw we are investigating. How can a vehicle stolen from Kampala reach Arua without being detected. We need to find out how these cartels operate freely."
Col.Kaka said that they would be working with reformed criminals including Sserunjogi to help them infiltrate the criminal gangs.
"That guy called Sobbi is a renowned criminal but has decided to join the civilised world.He can help us,"Col.Kaka said.
"When you see them freely moving with us, its not that we have been drawn into their world but we shall work with them."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOpfVM5TXB8
