Torture not govt policy

IT is not Government policy to torture suspects, security minister Betty Akech and the chief of military intelligence (CMI), Col Noble Mayombo, said yesterday.
The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has accused security agencies of maintaining “safe houses in which suspects are tortured through deprivation of liberty and life.”

The UHRC said suspects were frequently “dumped” without charges at the Kampala CPS and Kira Road Police station by security, particularly the CMI.
UHRC chief Margaret Sekaggya said, “We have received complaints against your organisations regarding violations of human rights, particularly the right to liberty, the right to protection against torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and the right to property.”
In a paper, Sekaggya’s colleague Constantine Karusoke accused security agencies of actions which he described as “unconstitutional, illegal, treacherous, deceptive, spiteful and vicious.”

Mayombo lashed out at the UHRC for “always being in a hurry to condemn security organs yet we prefer to see findings in your work and not just complaints.” He said the state defence (Attorney General) in the Uganda Human Rights Tribunal was weak leading to Uganda losing millions of shillings through awards to dubious claimants.

Akech, speaking at the UHRC-organised workshop code-named “enhancing human rights observance by security and intelligence organs” in Kampala yesterday, said, “The Government is committed to respecting our Constitution and international human rights instruments.”
She acknowledged that there was an outcry from the public on violation of human rights by intelligence and security organs. “No person shall be subjected to torture. Security organs should help our people observe the law,” she said.

The CMI, Internal Security Organisation and External Security Organisation top brass are attending the workshop, last held four years ago. It was closed to the media soon after the opening ceremony at the Uganda International Conference Centre.
Akech said, “Today security agencies are disciplined. Few individuals violate human rights.

These inefficiencies occur due to lack of human rights training, state-of-the-art interrogation and also lack of cooperation from suspects.”
She said the Government inherited a “very bad human rights record that includes atrocities committed by Obote’s GSU (General Service Unit) in the 1960s, Amin’s SRB (State Research Bureau) /PSU (Public Safety Unit) in the 1970s and again Obote’s National Security Agency (NASA).”

She said Uganda had put in place a National Security Committee chaired by the internal affairs minister. She said other members included the defence minister, the state security minister, the CMI, ISO, ESO and Inspector General of Police.
“The issues of human rights violation are handled at the highest level,” she said.
Akech, the Gulu Woman MP, warned against terrorism. “Terrorists kill others and resort to the rule of law for recourse. Weaknesses in the law need to be plugged. 98% of the atrocities in war areas are attributed to rebels. You are responsible for the 2%. I urge you to get rid of that percentage attributed to you. Don’t extort money from suspects.”

She said as Uganda transits to multiparty politics, “Political organisations should act within the law. Human rights bodies should work with security organs so Ugandans enjoy their rights.”
Mayombo said Uganda respected the Constitutional provisions on human rights. He warned Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others “who write things about Uganda without proper research.”

Karusoke said the UHRC “has repeatedly found suspects in Police cells dumped there by other security personnel. These security officials never record statements, they do not hand over the cases to the police and do not observe the 48-hour constitutional requirement.”