Police officers face arrest over illegal arrests

Isaiah Igumira, the head of legal and complaints at the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters, has announced that the police will implement rigorous measures to combat collusion between its detectives and lawyers in orchestrating illegal arrests and prolonged detention of suspects.

This initiative comes amidst heightened concern over the disappearance of 18 individuals reportedly arrested during and after the 2021 electoral campaigns. The 2024 rule of law report highlights that these missing Ugandans were apprehended by security personnel from various locations and held in undisclosed facilities without being presented in court.

Despite concerted efforts, key government agencies such as the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Human Rights Commission have been unable to provide information regarding their whereabouts.

The pledge by the police underscores the urgency to address systemic issues within law enforcement agencies to safeguard the rights and liberties of individuals, ensuring accountability and transparency in the justice system.

Speaking during the release of the rule of law report, Igumira stated that over-detention is not a police policy.

“We have implemented stringent measures against our detectives who over-detain or carry out illegal detentions. More often, we see officers making premature arrests, and we are actively addressing this issue within the department to ensure that arrests are properly warranted.”

He noted that such cases of illegal and excessive detention often arise from misleading practices by some lawyers in practice.

“They deceive low-ranking police detectives by claiming that they have a solid case and that the suspect intends to flee. By the time the arrest is made, it turns out that the lawyer was merely following instructions from the complainants. We cannot stand idly by when illegal activities are occurring, regardless of the parties involved.”

Igumira also criticized the criminalization of civil cases, where lawyers misrepresent civil disputes as criminal to the authorities.

“Often, lawyers will present an offense in a transaction as criminal, but a closer examination reveals it to be purely a civil matter, such as disputes over loans wrongly classified as obtaining money by false pretense. We have had to subject several detectives to disciplinary proceedings for wrongly criminalizing civil cases.”

“By our mandate, we are the first defenders of human rights. It is in my interest that human rights are respected. However, like any other institution, we occasionally face issues with bad apples,” he said.

“We are implementing mechanisms to ensure that officers are held accountable. We plan to launch a call center where individuals can lodge their complaints without needing to visit CID offices directly. We will make sure that each complaint is thoroughly followed up on, and feedback is provided. It’s crucial to understand that if there is anarchy, no one is spared,” he noted.