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| NEWS > 10 July 2007 |
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Officer accused of misconduct
A Harvey detective was charged with official misconduct Thursday for allegedly trying to stymie a case--part of an ongoing corruption probe--by smuggling a gun out of the police station that had unlawfully been pointed at two police officers, authorities said.
Detective Hollis Dorrough, 37, allegedly handed the weapon--a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol--to a man whose stepson, Anthony Reynolds, was accused in an October incident, authorities said.
Dorrough disposed of the gun after an October meeting with Reynolds, his stepfather and several city officials, including May... Read more
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AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
10 July 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
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Uganda: Rights Body Criticises
INTERNATIONAL rights watchdog Human Rights Watch has asked the Uganda Police Force to investigate and address allegations of misconduct by their officers in the north.
In a May 2 letter to Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Deputy Director for African Division Georgette Gagnon said although the body welcomes police efforts to expand its presence in the war affected region, the efforts could be undermined by officers' misconduct.
The HRW report accuses police officers and special police constables (SPCs) of demanding money from victims of crime in exchange for services, including arrest and transportation of suspects and also asking for bribes.
The report also accuses some SPCs of not carrying out their duties when victims fail to pay them and that some of the constables deployed at sub-counties have inadequate training.
"These practices violate the police disciplinary code of conduct and contribute to a widespread belief among the IDP population that money is required to seek the assistance of the police," the report reads in part.
"As you know, in the maintenance of law and order, and in the professional exercise of their powers, police officers play a critical role in safeguarding human rights, including the rights to life, liberty and the security of the person."
Ms Gagnon asks Maj. Gen. Kayihura to investigate the allegations.
"HRW asks you to investigate and address allegations of police misconduct and take steps to enhance the professionalism of UPF [Uganda Police Force] personnel in northern Uganda as a key component of improved human rights protection," she said.
"HRW is also concerned that inadequately trained SPCs may be more likely to commit human rights abuses."
Police response
The letter was copied to Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi and Minister of Internal Affairs Ruhakana Rugunda.
However, the police have described the report as too general since it doesn't name the officers involved. Police spokesman Asan Kasingye over the weekend said HRW writes reports without proper investigations.
"This report is too general. The police have played a very important role in community policing and providing services in northern Uganda," he said.
"If one police officer is corrupt, it should not be misconstrued that the whole police institution is corrupt. We can't rule out some cases of few undisciplined officers."
On inadequate training of SPCs, Mr Kasingye admitted they were deployed after one month training but added the constables were recruited on four-month contract basis to fill manpower gaps.
The HRW report is based on research conducted between January and February 2007 in 12 IDP camps in Acholi sub region and interviews with members of civil society and police officers.
The report says until recently, IDP camps located at sub-county headquarters had at most a token police presence - often only local administration police who were not incorporated into the central UPF until 2006 while other camps lacked any police personnel.
"Some police posts were shut down as a result of the conflict. Even in camps with a police presence and at central UPF stations located in district administrative headquarters, other police resources, including vehicles, fuel, communications equipment, accommodation, and stationery have been scarce," says the report.
Through the Emergency Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) with the support of donors and UN agencies, the government last year initiated reforms to increase police presence in the north as a component of IDP protection in the resettlement programme.
According to the report, police officers interviewed in February reported progress on a number of specific targets in the HAP, including reopening of police posts in every sub-county; redeploying of central police personnel from other regions to the north and deployment of 2,000 SPCs.
In January 2007, the report said, a guardian of 12 and 13-year-old sisters in Omot camp in Pader district reported to the police of a man who lured the girls into his hut and defiled them.
However, the police officers demanded Shs16, 000 for transporting the suspect, a police constable, the girls and their mother to court.
The report cites a case in Patongo also in Pader where a man was asked by a police constable to provide 'refreshments' during a post-mortem examination in October 2006 on his murdered brother.
It says he offered the police $11.49 (Shs20,000) which the man understood to be a bribe.
"The police disciplinary code of conduct prohibits practice of soliciting or receiving any bribe as neglect of duty.
The UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials also prohibits any act of corruption and requires the officials to rigorously oppose and combat all such acts,"says the report.
The report, however, notes that police faces significant resource constraints in carrying out their duties.
It report recommends disciplinary action against constables proved to be corrupt and negligent of duty.
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