Col. Kaka says safe houses are not torture chambers
The Internal Security Organisation Director General, Col.Kaka Bagyenda has for the first time spoken out on allegations of torture orchestrated in various safe houses around the country.
In the past few weeks, Members of Parliament on the parliamentary committee on Human Rights have accused ISO of operating several safe houses around the country where suspects are tortured.
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However, according to the ISO boss, safe houses have been around for many years adding that they are used for other purposes and not torturing suspects.
“Those houses are there for keeping those people threatened with death and others whose security is threatened,” Col.Kaka said.
He said between 2017 and 2018,they initiated an operation code-named “Dumisha Usalaama” in which over 400 criminals were arrested but noted that six months later, 80 percent of these people(criminals) had returned to the streets to terrorize the public.
According to Col.Kaka, their investigations found out that the criminals were part of a well-networked syndicate including lawyers, judiciary and police officers noting that these had helped the criminals released.
“I said, we could not sit like clowns and watch this happen. We built intelligence positions on these groups and started harvesting the cream or hardcore criminals but at the same had to protect our assets(who gave us information about the criminals.”
Kaka said it is at this time that safe houses became more prominent but noted that they are used to protect suspects whose life is in danger or their assets who are threatened.
MPs on the human rights committee were last week blocked from accessing several safe houses.
https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/09/05/gen-tumwine-safe-houses-are-not-used-for-torture/
