Army arrests, charges security operatives captured brutalising suspect

The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence’s Unit Disciplinary Committee yesterday charged five men caught on video brutally arresting a suspect in the city centre.

On Thursday afternoon, a video circulated on social media showing five security operatives armed with guns beating Yusuf Kawooya, a businessman near Christ the King church in Kampala.

The video was captured by Record TV.

“Twagala mmotoka( we want the vehicle),”the four officers said as they hit the suspect with gun buts repeatedly all over his body including the kidney area as a number of people gathered to watch the proceedings.

On Saturday, the five operatives led by Corporal Daniel Ssenkungu were arraigned before the army court for conduct prejudicial to the good order and discipline of defence forces contrary to the UPDF Act 2005.

“You are charged with executing an operation without following the standard operating procedures,” said the court chairperson Col.Tom Kabuye while reading the charges to the suspects.

A person convicted of the same act is liable to dismissal from the army with disgrace.

Admit charges

The five suspects who were arraigned in the army disciplinary court in the same clothes that they donned when they were captured in the video pleaded guilty to the charges read to them in languages each one of them best understood.

“It is true we committed the offence when we went on the operation but the suspect turned out violent during the arrest,”Cpl Ssenkungu told court before his colleague also added their voices to admit the charge.

“We are requesting for a lenient sentence because we have families to look after.”

Following the release of the video on social media, a number of people condemned the act by security agencies as being barbaric.

“What happened is unacceptable in a country like ours where rule of law is critical,” police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said.

When asked to comment on the issue, AIGP Fred Yiga, the Director in charge of Interpol said the act was condemnable.

“You look at it and feel disgusted, that can’t be the modus operandi,” he said without divulging more.

Army apologises

The deputy army spokesperson Lt.Col.Deo Akiiki however said the UPDF regrets the incident adding that the culprits had been made to pay for their mischief.

Despite pleading for mercy and accepting to cooperate, the ruthless men continued beating the suspect before they dragged him into waiting taxi and drove off to an unknown destination leaving the public in shock.

“This is to regret this unfortunate incident and to assure the public that such conduct is unacceptable and anyone who breaks the law will be held to account and will be punished accordingly,”Lt.Col.Akiiki told The Nile Post.