Kawempe Division Lord Councillor Muhammad Ssegirinya has asked government to pay him shs1.4 billion or he sues them after he was allegedly punched by a police officer following his arrest on Sunday.
Ssegirinya was arrested while protesting over refusal by KCCA authorities to work on drainage channels that caused floods following the heavy rains.
He was then reportedly punched by the OC of Mulago police station, a one ASP Wakisaada inside the police cell.
In a letter to the Attorney General dated November 19, Ssegirinya through his lawyers of Muwada and Company Advocates says the actions by the police officers towards him were grave and inhumane.
“Our client was physically heavily boxed by a uniformed three police officer and his heavy well practiced fist landed on the chest and head of our client while handcuffed within the premises officially used by Uganda Police Force as Mulago Police Station,”Ssegirinya’s lawyer writes in the letter which is also copied to the chairman of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, the Inspector General of Police and the Kampala Metropolitan police commander.
The lawyers added: “The actions and omissions of the police officer were criminal, actionable and a grave violation of the fundamental human rights. Such treatment was illegal, criminal, degrading, and inhumane and caused our client psychological and emotional torture, stress and embarrassment as a public leader.”
He said that every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty after trial by a competent court adding that it was wrong for police officers to punish him by beating and boxing him during and after his arrest on Sunday.
Ssegirinya says that if nothing is done to address his plight by government, he will go on to sue for compensation and damages totalling to Shs.1.4 billion for the physical and psychological torture and trauma inflicted on him by officers of government.
“Unless you heed to our demands herein, we have instruction to pursue legal redress in courts of law at your own cost and continued public embarrassment.”
