Police Search DP Offices

By J. Kakande & Margaret Ziribaggwa POLICE detectives yesterday morning searched the DP headquarters at City House on suspicion that ballot papers and voters cards were being kept there illegally. The Regional Police CID Officer, Stephen Otim, told The New Vision the search was prompted by a tip-off that ballot papers and voters cards for the March 12 presidential polls were being kept at the DP headquarters illegally. On Thursday, DP President Paul Ssemogerere told a press conference that they had received information that as many as one million ballot papers had gone missing. He asked the Electoral Commission to investigate the matter. Otim said the Police detectives did not find any electoral materials at the DP headquarters. Party Treasurer and Kampala Mayor Ssebaana Kizito witnessed the search carried out by four Police detectives. Ssemogerere said the Police contacted him before conducting the search. He said the search was merely intended to "divert attention." Ssemogerere said the Police action did not surprise him. He said this was part of a pattern of harassment which the opposition had been subjected to. He said a week ago, the Police at Mukono subjected his two guests from South Africa to a search while they were on their way to Nasser Sebaggala's rally in Busia. "They know we do not have the electoral materials. If the materials are in wrong hands, they are not in our hands but elsewhere," he said. "It's a pattern of harassment intended to instill fear and terror," Ssemogerere said but added, "We have no complaints against the Police. We believe they were pushed into it." He said there was an attempt to scare opposition supporters away from voting in the March 12 elections. The DP secretary general, Damiano Lubega, said no party officials were mistreated during the search. Ends