Suspect dies in police custody in Masindi
He alleges that his brother was severely beaten by Lokinomoi, potentially contributing to his death.
Masindi: Panic has gripped police officers at Masindi Central Police Station after a suspect died from the cells.
The suspect has been identified as a 37-year-old Patrick Mujuni from Kijunjubwa cell in Kijunjubwa town council Masindi district.
The suspect was arrested on allegations of assault and robbery. He died Thursday morning.
Paul Tinkamanyire mentioned that his brother Mujuni had a dispute with a customer over money, which escalated into a fight.
Tinkamanyire added that Mujuni, who was operating a small bar and butchery, was arrested on Sunday last week by the officer in charge of Kijunjubwa Police post, Peter Lokinomoi.
He alleges that his brother was severely beaten by Lokinomoi, potentially contributing to his death.
“Police led by OC Lokinomoi intervened, but what’s paining me is the OC beating my brother. The information I’m getting is he was seriously beaten by the police officer, and his death could have resulted from that. The customer he fought with claimed that he had lost one million shillings, which was also a lie,” Tinkamanyire stressed.
Tinkamanyire added that Mujuni had been charged with robbery and assault, noting that they tried to pursue the police bond in vain.
Despite efforts to secure a police bond and transfer Mujuni to a central police station, these attempts were unsuccessful, and Mujuni’s condition worsened before he was eventually transferred.
“When we tried to secure a police bond, we were told that his offense couldn’t be bonded. We pleaded with the OC Kijunjubwa police post to transfer him to Masindi central police station, but they kept on confusing us. It was Wednesday when he was transferred here, but he wasn’t in good condition,” he added.
Paddy Muhumuza, a friend of the deceased, mentioned that they had visited Mujuni at Masindi police station and found him in a weakened state, complaining of pain.
“When we visited him on Wednesday at Masindi central police station, he looked weak, and he was complaining of some pain,” he added.
Muhumuza is particularly distressed by the claim that Mujuni’s death resulted from a fight with other detainees in the cells, and he is calling for intervention from the Police Standards Unit and human rights organizations to ensure justice is served.
“What has pained me most is to be told that his death resulted from the fight he was having with his colleagues in the cells. We need the Police Standard Unit, a human rights organization, to intervene such that we are able to get justice,” he appealed.
On the other hand, Julius Allan Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson confirmed that Mujune died from the police custody and stated that Mujuni is suspected to have committed suicide while in custody.
“I haven’t got the particulars, but we suspect him to have committed suicide in the custody,” said Hakiza.
Mujuni’s body has been taken to Masindi General Hospital for a postmortem, which should provide more clarity on the cause of death.
Do you have an advertisement or article you want to publish? Mail us at theugreports@gmail.com or WhatsApp +256394700683.
