FDC party president released after six hour detention

POLITICS

Police in Soroti, released the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, President Eng. Patrick Amuriat Oboi at 11:00 pm last night.

Amuriat was on Monday arrested over charges of destroying property, disrupting traffic and disobeying the public order management act.

The four other people he was arrested with including Tom Julius Ekudo, Kamuda LC3 Daniel Eigu were also released.

Soroti mayor Paul Omer suffers the side effects of tear gas

The FDC party had called their supporters to Soroti Independence Square to celebrate 15 years of the party's existence but Police stopped them on grounds that they were not notified.

"I have not been notified about this meeting by my superiors either in the region or Kampala so I can't allow them to continue because that is illegal," said the Soroti District Police Commander (DPC), Jamada Wandera.

Wandera further stated that FDC leadership in Soroti did not at one time approach his office informing them of the celebrations.

Police arrest one of the supporters

"I have even asked them to provide me with a letter they claim they were given by my superiors in Kampala but they have failed to produce it, so how do I go-ahead to allow them to address a rally here?" Wandera said.

However, Amuriat insists that they were given permission from the Inspector General of Police but he was shocked that they were being blocked.

"We wrote to Police notifying them of our countrywide activities and they gave us permission but now the DPC here is asking me to give him a letter that allows us to conduct the function. Is it my role again or his bosses to inform him?" Amuriat asked as he spoke to the media.

FDC supporters cheering on

Since Amuriat and his team were blocked from entering the independence grounds, he opted to address his supporters in the middle of the road.

Police led by the DPC swung into action to disperse the crowds by firing rubber bullets and tear gas but people kept on engaging Police.

At 5:00 pm the Police towed his vehicle to Soroti Central Police where he was detained alongside other party members.

Though the National female youth MP Anna Adeke Ebaju was in the company of Amuriat in the same vehicle, she was not detained.

 The DPC Jamada Wandera chats with Amuriat

Amuriat still insists that they will hold celebrations in Soroti arguing that their celebrations were not meant to fight the police.