IGP: "We kept Zaake in our custody because he refused to sign police bond"

The Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola, has said that the ailing Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake refused to sign police bond that is why he remains under detention.

Commenting on the predicament of the legislator during the release of the 2019 annual crime report on Tuesday, Ochola said that there are conditions pertaining to the issues of police bond that all suspects should understand.

"The suspect has to append the signature. You have to commit yourself. Where a suspect arrogantly refuses and demands that it is his lawyers to sign on that bond...I think it was unbecoming of a leader, "he said.

On Monday, court ordered for the unconditional release of the legislator but police declined to release him.

Zaake who is currently getting treatment at Kiruddu hospital was arrested for flouting the presidential directives after he was found distributing food.

Asuman Basalirwa, one of the Zaake's lawyers, said the issues of police bond doesn't arise because there is an order of the court telling the force to unconditionally release him.

"If court has made a decision to unconditionally release a person, you can't talk about giving them bond. I really think that police should obey the court order, "he said.

"It's unfortunate that Hon Francis Zaake is being charged with disobedience of lawful orders and at the same time police is disobeying order of court."

Medard Lubega Ssegonna, another lawyer said that the MP was not in a position to sign the bond.

"He was not able to sign. His sureties and other people had to sign for him because he was in a shape that could not sign. They had tortured him before and they had continued to torture him, "he said.

Some legislators want the minister of Internal Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo to explain why security agencies continue to torture innocent Ugandans.