By Our Reporter
Through a press statement on Thursday Uganda Journalists Association UJA informed the public how a senior journalist Lemisa Moses who works with Bukedde Paper- Vision group was allegedly tortured in coma by two police officer at Kapapaali Mulago Police post while in line of duty.
This website through deeper investigation has reliably been informed that Commissioner of Police CP John Peter Ematu, who is a senior police officer and the head of a committee set by the Inspector General of Police IGP Martin Okoth Ochola to evict civilians and police officers who were transferred but left their families in their previous deployment barracks superintended over torture of the journalist.
Our reliable sources revealed that all the torture which was occasioned on Lemisa Moses in full watch of CP John Peter Ematu who after the incident opened up a case of criminal trespass on Kapapali Mulago police post, a public place against Lemisa. CP Ematu and his team of police officer he works with from Nagulu headquarters had pitched camp on Thursday but had been in the jurisdiction of Wandegeya police station for a full week.
CP John Peter Ematu has a history of brutality, in October, 2017 an angry mob raided the home of John Peter Ematu, then the North Kyoga regional police commander (RPC) in Lira district accusing him of ordering police to brutalize their members of parliament.
The angry mob stormed Ematu’s home in Ireda, Lira town started pelting it with stones. Ematu locked up himself inside the house to escape the wrath of the angry residents. It took the intervention of anti-riot police who rushed to the area to disperse the rowdy residents.
In a detailed press statement released on Friday, Kabuye Ronald, UJA spokesperson asserted that journalist Lemisa Moses was brutally arrested by two of the many Police officers that had gathered at that Police post for an eviction operation as he followed up a certain story around the same area and charged with criminal trespass on the Police post.
“What makes it very disturbing to us is that the arresting officers deliberately pushed down Lemisa to the ground where his head was hit hard, leaving him with sustained bruises on it plus other body parts as well as damaging his camera, despite his identification to them.
His work tools; a camera, phone and identification card were taken away from him by the same police officers on top of picking money from the journalist’s pocket before he was thrown inside the police cells where he lost conscious and fainted almost to death.
Shuddering to note is that, no care was given to him by any of the police officers while inside until when the other already detained suspects put a strong demand that he be moved out and taken to the nearby health facility to save his dying life which was later allowed.
It is very unfortunate that the police officers who are charged with the duty of observing the law can be seen breaking it with impunity.” Reads a statement in parts
Kabuye said that the torture that was occasioned on journalist Lemisa is not only being illegal but also a blatant violation of his individual rights and press freedom in general.
On Friday, Lemisa Moses was in critical condition and put on oxygen after he dropped to faint again in his car at St, Stephen COU hospital Mpererwa compound where had gone for further medical treatment.
UJA called out the inspector General of Police IGP to investigate the two errant police officers and reprimand them in one-week time from Friday, 23, February 2024.
They also demand that the errant officers apologize to Lemisa, compensate his damaged camera, foot his medical bill and return his taken money.
UJA has also threatened to explore other means including mobilizing a demonstration of journalists against increased impunity on them and seeking for other legal redress if no response is made in reference to the matter.
