The UHRC Tribunal, chaired by Mariam Wangadya, has dismissed a long-standing torture case in which 63-year-old Peter Andevu alleged he was tortured while in detention at Nalufenya Police facility in 2005.
The Tribunal ruled that Andevu failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate his claims and ordered him to pay the government’s legal costs.
The sitting, held at the Commission’s Jinja Regional Office, addressed nine alleged human rights violations, including infringement of the right to life, personal liberty, and freedom from torture.
Out of these, three cases were dismissed for lack of evidence, while two complainants received compensation for proven violations.
Following the ruling, UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya cautioned medical practitioners against forging medical examination reports to support false torture claims, saying such practices waste public resources and delay justice.
“We have observed a worrying trend of some medics forging torture reports to back false claims. This not only undermines genuine victims but also causes case backlogs and financial loss to the Commission and the government,” Wangadya said.
Despite the dismissal, Andevu maintained his allegations, claiming he was tortured and defrauded of Shs400,000 following an aggravated robbery incident at Dr Amoko’s residence in Njeru in October 2005.
The Tribunal found his submitted medical reports to be forged.
In the same sitting, the Tribunal awarded Shs10 million to Yusuf Bakaki, who was maliciously detained for 15 days at Mayuge Central Police Station, and Shs8.1 million to Paul Rwecungura, who proved he was tortured while detained at Buwenge Police Station in 2013.
The ongoing Tribunal sessions in Jinja form part of the UHRC’s broader initiative to bring justice closer to communities and ensure accountability for human rights violations, while discouraging fraudulent claims that waste public resources.