A boda boda rider has dragged the attorney general and four police officers to the High court for alleged torture.
Kassim Migadde, a boda boda (motorcycle) rider from Nakigalala in Kajjansi in Wakiso district accuses the officers of torturing him on September 20, the day Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the Kyadondo East member of parliament returned to the country from the US where he had flown for treatment.
The suspects are Samuel Wangogo, Denis Oguma, James Kanyenya and Denis Namugongo. Through his lawyer Pace Advocates, Migadde says that he had gone to fuel his motorbike at Total fuel station in Kajjansi when he was picked up by soldiers for allegedly wearing a red T-shirt resembling those used by People Power activists and handed over to the errant police officers.
Migadde says he was exposed to psychological torture when the officers forced him to remove his shoes, T-shirt and forced to sit on the floor before they started punching him while threatening to dump him in jail.
According to Migadde, he was admitted at Namulundu medical centre and treated for external and internal injuries at his own expense shortly after being released from Kajjansi police station.
Migadde says the conduct of slapping, punching and beating him was very humiliating and led to the loss of his dignity. In a sworn affidavit supporting his suit, Migadde, says the torture has affected his operations and led to the loss of income because he still feels pain and is mentally traumautized.
He wants court to declare the actions of the police officers illegal and degrading, which amounts to abuse of office. He also wants court to issue an injunction restraining the respondents from engaging in future human rights violations. Migadde also wants court to order the respondents to compensate him for general, aggravated, exemplary and punitive damages caused to him.
He howeverndoesn't specify how much money he is seeking for compensation. The High court is yet to fix the matter for hearing. Security agencies have in the recent past days been confiscating red T-shirts and arresting people found wearing them in groups claiming that they are meant for unlawful political demonstrations.
Recently, police raided the home of Edith Byanyima in search of similar red T-shirts purportedly meant for demonstrations. However, no such material was found save for red table clothes.
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