Police: Stand up and be counted
Feb 04, 2010
The gruesome murder of Brenda Karamuzi that was discovered last weekend has sent shivers down the spine of all Ugandans — law abiding or otherwise.
The gruesome murder of Brenda Karamuzi that was discovered last weekend has sent shivers down the spine of all Ugandans — law abiding or otherwise.
In police custody are three suspects — Tom Nkurunjira, Christopher Bagagaruka and Fred Ssempijja. Nkurunjira is believed to be the key suspect.
The Police revisited the scene of the crime in Bukasa, a Kampala suburb, on Wednesday with the suspects to recreate the scene of the crime. It has been reported that they left the scene with more exhibits and that the compound in which the murder was committed has been sealed off.
Among the evidence that is publicly known is blood stains on the seating room wall and sofas, a bloody hoe that is suspected to be the murder weapon and a pair of bloody sheets.
To the general public, this looks like an open and shut case. But as we know what is popular is not always right, just as what is right is not always popular. In a court of law what is obvious to the general public may not be shown up by the available evidence. Which means a huge burden rests on the Police forensics department. In the absence of eyewitnesses, the case will most probably stand on the evidence the Police are able to glean from the scene of the crime.
The handling of crime scenes in Uganda is notoriously bad with unqualified personnel trudging all over the scene, onlookers milling around and the press getting unfettered access to the scene. All these individually and collectively can compromise evidence at the scene of the crime.
The quality of the evidence will be determined by the extent to which the crime scene was compromised.
Police Chief Kale Kaihura has assured Ugandans of a thorough probe.
Almost as much as the alleged perpetrator of the heinous crime, the Police department and its forensics department are also on trial in this case.
In police custody are three suspects — Tom Nkurunjira, Christopher Bagagaruka and Fred Ssempijja. Nkurunjira is believed to be the key suspect.
The Police revisited the scene of the crime in Bukasa, a Kampala suburb, on Wednesday with the suspects to recreate the scene of the crime. It has been reported that they left the scene with more exhibits and that the compound in which the murder was committed has been sealed off.
Among the evidence that is publicly known is blood stains on the seating room wall and sofas, a bloody hoe that is suspected to be the murder weapon and a pair of bloody sheets.
To the general public, this looks like an open and shut case. But as we know what is popular is not always right, just as what is right is not always popular. In a court of law what is obvious to the general public may not be shown up by the available evidence. Which means a huge burden rests on the Police forensics department. In the absence of eyewitnesses, the case will most probably stand on the evidence the Police are able to glean from the scene of the crime.
The handling of crime scenes in Uganda is notoriously bad with unqualified personnel trudging all over the scene, onlookers milling around and the press getting unfettered access to the scene. All these individually and collectively can compromise evidence at the scene of the crime.
The quality of the evidence will be determined by the extent to which the crime scene was compromised.
Police Chief Kale Kaihura has assured Ugandans of a thorough probe.
Almost as much as the alleged perpetrator of the heinous crime, the Police department and its forensics department are also on trial in this case.