Minister Obiga warns police on criminalising civil matters
The state Minister for Internal Affairs, Kania Obiga has warned police officers from arresting people over civil related complaints like unpaid debts.
While speaking at the police Intermediate Command Course pass out at the Bwebajja Police Senior Command and staff College on Friday, Obiga revealed that he had received complaints from the public on criminalisation of civil matters.
Fifty eight senior officers graduated with diplomas in security and conflict resolution studies which is a mandatory requirement for deployment as a district or divisional commander.
Some of the civil matters which police has been arresting suspects in relation to include debts, disagreements arising from contracts, land ownership, contested evictions among many others.
The State Minister made it clear that the role of police in civil disagreements is protection of life and property.
"All you have to do is sit down with the parties and mediate so that they don't kill each other, but those things of creating criminal cases where there is nothing is spoiling your reputation," he added.
Early this year police was involved in a scandal where the Kampala Metropolitan Criminal Investigations commander recorded a statement with her bosses after a complaint was filed alleging that he received a bribe to investigate a matter in which court ordered a Stanbic Bank to transfer more than Shs 1billion from an account belonging to a South Sudan soldier.
At the time, Fred Nkurunziza a city businessman was arrested and detained for weeks despite having a legitimate court order for the seizure and payment of a pending debt.
