Policewoman sued for shs40m over ‘arrest’ of two Judiciary staff

Two men have dragged a female police officer to court demanding shs40 million in compensation for turning a blind eye as they were being tortured.

Michael Kaluusi and Richard  Mwesigwa both court process servers say that on December, 14, 2023, they went to effect service to Sulaina Logose but were assaulted and decided to report the case to Namutumba Police station where Stella Nankunda is the officer in charge of CID.

The duo says that a case of assault was opened via SD reference 59/14/12/2023 but were astonished when Nakunda ordered that they are not allowed to leave the station and confined them for five hours.

“While at Namutumba police station, the said Logose Sulaina came along since she was resident of the area and shouted at the top of her voice on how the we were wasting time since the police in Namutumba was under her control including the respondent(Nakunda) and nothing would be done to her,” Kaluusi says in his affidavit .

“After some while, the Respondent(Nakunda) came along and immediately upon interacting with the said Logose Sulaina directed that we were not to leave the station contending since we were under arrest unless she directed otherwise.”

The duo says whereas they pleaded to the OC CID to know the grounds of their “arrest”, all fell on deaf ears as she continued hurling all sorts of threats, including assuring them how she was at liberty to keep them at the station for “ whatever duration , determine what time we were to leave and open up whatever charges she wished.”

They say that when they told her that they were public servants who were doing their job, the OC CID said she was not ready to hear “any no sense, confined us to a room at the police station and directed officers at the station to watch over us not to leave or take any step unless she directed otherwise”.

“ We were kept at Namutumba police station on orders of the respondent and confined in a room whereof we tried to plead for our mercy in vain for which they the confinement /restricted liberty from movement was from around 14:00 hours to around 19:00 hours.”

Kaluusi says when he tried to take step and move to pick the motorcycle registration number UG 1110J that they had used for transportation, Nankunda directed her subordinates at the police station not to allow him move.

Bragging

The duo says that in furtherance of her acts, the OC CID for  Namutumba police station bragged to them that "they were the people" in power if “we did not know her tribe and even if we reported her to the Inspector General of Police nothing could happen to her.”

“The respondent even told us that the criminal file that had been entered by her subordinates at Namutumba Police Station would not see light as even though we had recorded statements at police in regard to the said file, she being the in charge knew how best she was to handle it.”

Case

In the case filed in the Chief Magistrates Court of Iganga, the duo represented by Ssekaana Associated Advocates & Consultants says the acts and orders of the Namutumba OC CID restricting their liberty and freedom of movement yet we were victims of crime who had gone to seek justice amounts to total abuse of the Police  uniform.

They say that Nakunda ought to  be personally held liable for violating their rights.

“Our unlawful restraint by the respondent was perpetrated with malice, bad faith as she made assurance to do anything she could in her means to incapacitate us we dared to take a move which atones to gross lack of respect  or violation for human rights.As a result of the defendant's acts, we were subjected to mental and emotional suffering owing to their human right violation for which the Respondent should be held liable in compensation to a tune of shs40million.”