By Andrew Bagala
Africa-Press – Uganda. The military assistant of the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has been released by the police after negotiations with a traffic officer he reportedly assaulted and a civilian he knocked at the weekend.
Colonel Peter Oscar Ajoket had been detained at Kawempe Police Station after he allegedly assaulted Police Constable (PC) Stanley Masembe, who had responded to a traffic incident at Bwaise on Northern Bypass at around 8:45pm last Saturday.
The spokesperson of the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Charles Odongtho, said yesterday that the issues were settled amicably between their officer and the victims, but insisted that the soldier didn’t use his firearm in the incident as it was alleged by police sources.
“He was released. He agreed to replace the mobile phone of the police officer and also repair the vehicle that they claim he knocked. [So] the matter was settled,” Mr Odongtho said yesterday.
Conflicting views
Sources said Col Ajoket was driving a Toyota Hilux , registration number UG 0859Z, and got involved in a minor road accident with a civilian driving a Toyota Kluger, registration number UBB 430X.
PC Masembe was dispatched to the scene to establish the cause of the accident.
It is alleged that when he reached there, PC Masembe asked the two drivers to remain at the scene to allow the police to investigate, but the colonel attempted to drive away, which prompted him to intercept him using his motor vehicle.
However, Mr Odongtho said Col Ajoket told him that he didn’t know that he had even scratched someone’s car.
“In fact, when he was intercepted by the police, he stopped to listen to them. He remained in his official car,” Mr Odongtho said, adding that he got out only after the officer accosted him.
On Sunday, a source told this newspaper that the colonel allegedly got out of the car with a pistol and cocked it before putting PC Masembe at gunpoint, an allegation OPM says isn’t true.
Then the colonel allegedly started beating up PC Masembe. But Mr Odongtho said it was just a minor push, which was exaggerated by the police officers for unknown intentions.
PC Masembe was rescued by his colleagues on a patrol vehicle, who later disarmed the UPDF officer before arresting him.
However, after his detention, several security officers attempted to bond him out, which angered junior police officers at Kawempe Police Station.
Police sources said senior army and police officers agreed not to escalate the case after the senior UPDF officer was detained in the same cell with petty criminals.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango declined to comment on the matter. He referred this publication to the OPM.
Most of the road rage cases by UPDF soldiers against police officers have gone unpunished due to fear of denting the relationship between the two security agencies.
Past incidents
In January 2022, traffic police Constable Robert Mukebezi was shot by a soldier while responding to a crime scene in Nakawa Division, Kampala City. CP Mukebezi’s leg was amputated.
The suspect, a Uganda People’s Defence Force soldier, Corporal Bashir Mango Babangida, is said to be on the run. CP Mukebezi hasn’t been compensated for the injuries.
Uganda’s Ambassador to Burundi
Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza was also accused of assaulting a female traffic officer in February 2019 on Jinja Road in Mukono District. His criminal case was later taken to court, but the trial was put on hold after his lawyers successfully sought an interpretation in the Constitutional Court. Maj Gen Kyaligonza’s lawyers said trying him in civilian court was double jeopardy since the military court had heard the same case.
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