Police hunting Masaka mob for burning suspected thief to ashes
Jul 12, 2009
ANGRY residents of Kirumba B near Masaka district headquarters burnt to death a man they suspected of breaking into their houses.
By Ali Mambule
ANGRY residents of Kirumba B near Masaka district headquarters burnt to death a man they suspected of breaking into their houses.
The residents, who have been complaining about thieves, waylaid the unidentified man at about 3:00am.
The area’s LC1 secretary for defence, Peter Bimanywa, said he heard the alarm but could not establish its origin.
“When I came to inspect I found people beating the man,†he said.
Bimanywa said the residents found him walking alone in the night with a knife in his pocket and they later burnt him to ashes with car tyres.
He said the residents fled when he appeared and he rushed to report the matter to the Police.
Unfortunately, by the time the Masaka deputy Criminal Investigation Directorate chief , Steven Etyang, arrived at the scene, the man had already been burnt to ash.
Etyang’s efforts to locate the house which the man had allegedly broken into were futile.
He also failed to locate the property which the residents accused the man of stealing.
“He might have been innocent. Those are the costs of mob justice when people want to take the law in their handsâ€, Etyang said.
He said the Police was investigating the matter and all those who participated in the murder would be charged.
ANGRY residents of Kirumba B near Masaka district headquarters burnt to death a man they suspected of breaking into their houses.
The residents, who have been complaining about thieves, waylaid the unidentified man at about 3:00am.
The area’s LC1 secretary for defence, Peter Bimanywa, said he heard the alarm but could not establish its origin.
“When I came to inspect I found people beating the man,†he said.
Bimanywa said the residents found him walking alone in the night with a knife in his pocket and they later burnt him to ashes with car tyres.
He said the residents fled when he appeared and he rushed to report the matter to the Police.
Unfortunately, by the time the Masaka deputy Criminal Investigation Directorate chief , Steven Etyang, arrived at the scene, the man had already been burnt to ash.
Etyang’s efforts to locate the house which the man had allegedly broken into were futile.
He also failed to locate the property which the residents accused the man of stealing.
“He might have been innocent. Those are the costs of mob justice when people want to take the law in their handsâ€, Etyang said.
He said the Police was investigating the matter and all those who participated in the murder would be charged.