Police grill Kizza Besigye attacker
Apr 12, 2010
JOHN Bisaso, the Mpigi-based herdsman, who allegedly attacked FDC boss Kizza Besigye at a rally in Maddu trading centre in Mpigi last week, was interrogated by the Police in Kampala yesterday.
By Francis Kagolo
and Steven Candia
JOHN Bisaso, the Mpigi-based herdsman, who allegedly attacked FDC boss Kizza Besigye at a rally in Maddu trading centre in Mpigi last week, was interrogated by the Police in Kampala yesterday.
He arrived at the CID headquarters in Kibuli at 10:40am and faced a barrage of questions from CID deputy chief Moses Sakira and the political and electoral offences chief, Remmy Twinomujuni, until 4:20pm.
The stout man, in his 30s, had no lawyer but looked confident as the Police questioned him. He flashed the ruling NRM party’s thumbs-up sign as he walked into Sakira’s office. He would not say why he allegedly attempted to strangle Besigye.
The Police said they summoned Bisaso after Besigye filed a case against him. “Besigye wrote to us, complaining that he was assaulted. The suspect has appeared; we want also to interrogate him on Besigye’s allegations,†Sakira told journalists.
“There are accusations and counter-accusations; that is why we want to interrogate both sides.â€
Sources said Bisaso denied assaulting Besigye but instead accused the colonel and his supporters of assaulting him. He has also filed a case against Besigye.
The sources said Bisaso said he only “challenged Besigye loudly over his remarksâ€, which, he said, annoyed his supporters.
According to the sources, Bisaso also stated in a statement that Besigye’s bodyguards assaulted him when he moved closer to Besigye.
He also denied having a firearm, which Besigye said fell off his body in the scuffle and was grabbed by unknown persons.
The rally took place on Thursday at about 7:00pm, but Besigye told journalists about it the following day.
He said Bisaso jumped out of the crowd onto the bonnet of his vehicle, shouting: “You are under arrest.â€
However, Mpigi Police chiefs have refuted the claim. “Saying Bisaso had a gun is a concoction,†said Julius Owor, the district boss.
Police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said Bisaso could be summoned again as investigations continue. However, she clarified, the Police had not written off the assault case Bisaso filed against Besigye.
Commenting on the incident, President Museveni on Sunday said Besigye was attacked because of telling lies. “Besigye was telling people that I sold Lake Kyoga.
When he went to Gomba to tell those lies, he fell into problems. I hear some people attacked him because he is used to telling lies.†Museveni made the remarks while passing out cadres in Mukono district.
Meanwhile, Besigye is expected to face the the CID at 10:00am today over his remarks that the Government had sold Lake Kyoga to private investors.
The Police said the colonel made the “inflammatory†remarks in Amolatar and Arua districts and at Maddu.
“We want him to help us with investigations over the remarks he allegedly made in those areas,†CID director Edward Ochom said.
and Steven Candia
JOHN Bisaso, the Mpigi-based herdsman, who allegedly attacked FDC boss Kizza Besigye at a rally in Maddu trading centre in Mpigi last week, was interrogated by the Police in Kampala yesterday.
He arrived at the CID headquarters in Kibuli at 10:40am and faced a barrage of questions from CID deputy chief Moses Sakira and the political and electoral offences chief, Remmy Twinomujuni, until 4:20pm.
The stout man, in his 30s, had no lawyer but looked confident as the Police questioned him. He flashed the ruling NRM party’s thumbs-up sign as he walked into Sakira’s office. He would not say why he allegedly attempted to strangle Besigye.
The Police said they summoned Bisaso after Besigye filed a case against him. “Besigye wrote to us, complaining that he was assaulted. The suspect has appeared; we want also to interrogate him on Besigye’s allegations,†Sakira told journalists.
“There are accusations and counter-accusations; that is why we want to interrogate both sides.â€
Sources said Bisaso denied assaulting Besigye but instead accused the colonel and his supporters of assaulting him. He has also filed a case against Besigye.
The sources said Bisaso said he only “challenged Besigye loudly over his remarksâ€, which, he said, annoyed his supporters.
According to the sources, Bisaso also stated in a statement that Besigye’s bodyguards assaulted him when he moved closer to Besigye.
He also denied having a firearm, which Besigye said fell off his body in the scuffle and was grabbed by unknown persons.
The rally took place on Thursday at about 7:00pm, but Besigye told journalists about it the following day.
He said Bisaso jumped out of the crowd onto the bonnet of his vehicle, shouting: “You are under arrest.â€
However, Mpigi Police chiefs have refuted the claim. “Saying Bisaso had a gun is a concoction,†said Julius Owor, the district boss.
Police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said Bisaso could be summoned again as investigations continue. However, she clarified, the Police had not written off the assault case Bisaso filed against Besigye.
Commenting on the incident, President Museveni on Sunday said Besigye was attacked because of telling lies. “Besigye was telling people that I sold Lake Kyoga.
When he went to Gomba to tell those lies, he fell into problems. I hear some people attacked him because he is used to telling lies.†Museveni made the remarks while passing out cadres in Mukono district.
Meanwhile, Besigye is expected to face the the CID at 10:00am today over his remarks that the Government had sold Lake Kyoga to private investors.
The Police said the colonel made the “inflammatory†remarks in Amolatar and Arua districts and at Maddu.
“We want him to help us with investigations over the remarks he allegedly made in those areas,†CID director Edward Ochom said.