By Nalule Aminah Police have halted investigations into the attempted assassination of ICT minister, Idah Nantaba until she records a statement. Addressing the press at police headquarters in Naguru, police spokesperson Fred Enanga said that they are waiting for the advice from the State Minister for Internal Affairs Obiga Kania on the issue of how […]
By Nalule Aminah
Police have halted investigations into the attempted assassination of ICT minister, Idah Nantaba until she records a statement.
Addressing the press at police headquarters in Naguru, police spokesperson Fred Enanga said that they are waiting for the advice from the State Minister for Internal Affairs Obiga Kania on the issue of how to get Nantaba to record a statement at the police facility.
This is after Nantaba snubbed their summons and indicated in a letter to police that she would not be able to honor the summons because she had been directed by President Yoweri Museveni to stay home until he himself directs otherwise.
Enanga said they have now sought guidance from the Ministry of Internal Affairs on how a statement can be extracted from Nantaba, whose narrative remains the axle of all investigations in relation to the shooting.
“She acknowledged receipt of our summons but she wrote to us for not appearing. We referred the matter to the State Minister for Internal Affairs Obiga Kania and we are waiting for his communication,”Enanga said.
“We are waiting for his guidance or whether to compel her (Nantaba) or which other guidelines to follow.”
Ssebulime was arrested after an alert to Police by Nantaba that she was being trailed. Reports indicate that he was shot in cold blood, after being handcuffed by police personnel. The act has since sparked public and political criticism, with many classifying it as an extrajudicial killing.
Initial police investigations indicated that Ssebulime was found in the company of another person, who was giving him directions to his children’s school. A subsequent search found a package of food and drinks in his bag. Last week, police said three officers had been arrested in connection to Ssebulime’s gruesome murder.
Enanga elaborated that witness accounts helped them to unravel lies that had been reported by police officers who responded to Nantaba’s assassination scare. Enanga also said Police Chief Political Commissar Asan Kasingye has tried to meet the deceased’s family in vain.
“It is out of her statement that we shall be able to get leads into the alleged threats,”Enanga said, noting that they are currently stuck with the case file since the ICT minister refused to comply.
On Nantaba’s request to have the statement recorded from her home, Enanga said they cannot accept the request because it is unethical.
“If we take statements from people’s homes, it gives them a comfort zone and affects the outcome of the statement. On many occasions while recording a statement at home, they might receive calls that might interrupt the entire process.”
“It is advisable the statement is recorded from a police facility.”
