Mysterious hooded man divides MPs

The police have denied knowledge of the hooded man who smashed the window of Dr Besigye’s car. FILE

Parliament was yesterday deeply divided over the now infamous man in a hood published by this newspaper this week even as the House passed a motion calling for investigations into the use of excessive force by the police and security agents.

Opposition legislators criticised the manner in which the motion was hurriedly passed even though, according to them, it failed to address salient issues like the brutal arrest of Dr Kizza Besigye by police and security operatives.

Some of the MPs, who walked out of Parliament in protest after the passing of the motion, accused the Speaker, Mr Edward Ssekandi, of bias preferring to hurriedly pass the motion without allowing them enough time to put forward their side’s amendments to Ndorwa West legislator David Bahati’s motion.

MPs wanted in the motion the immediate arrest of police officer Gilbert Arinaitwe and the unidentified hooded man who vandalised Dr Besigye’s car with a hammer, an apology from the government over Dr Besigye’s brutal arrest, unconditionally releasing all the walk-to-work detainees and compensate those who were affected during the demonstrations.

In what some MPs say was a conspiracy, the government side did not mention anything about the man in the hood whose identity has remained unknown. “In the motion that was passed by Parliament, nobody from the government’s side came out to comment on the hooded man or Arinaitwe and what action they were going to take,” Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi told journalists after storming out of Parliament.

“Nobody has mentioned the innocent people who were killed by police and security operatives. People are tormented and nobody is talking about the brutality of police.” On Thursday, Internal Affairs State minister Matia Kasaija refused to acknowledge the mysterious man and instead accused this newspaper of peddling a fabrication.

“We shall investigate your newspaper and the source of those photographs because we don’t believe they are genuine,” he was quoted. Last week, Mr Bahati moved the motion for a resolution of Parliament urging government, the opposition and civil society to handle the current inflation peacefully which was overwhelmingly supported and passed by Parliament but with a few amendments.
The motion called for investigation of police agents and taking disciplinary action for those found guilty within three months.

It also urged the government to take practical steps to intervene and manage the current inflation and make a report to Parliament within three weeks and called for government‘s engagement in dialogue with the opposition.

“The government should also release any persons arrested during the demonstrations against whom charges have not been preferred and expedite the cases of those charged,” the Bahati motion read.

This was, however, challenged by the acting opposition Chief whip, Mr Kassiano Wadri, who moved an amendment to the effect that those arrested should be released unconditionally. He, however, lost to the NRM after the matter was put to the vote.

Bahati had also suggested in his motion that the opposition leaders and pressure groups exercise restraint and take appropriate measure to ensure that demonstrators are civil and acting within the ambits of the law. But the opposition MPs amended the motion, saying the government should as well exercise restraint.

Earlier in the day, the opposition was allowed to screen a two-minute video relaying pictures of a hooded man who vandalised Dr Besigye’s car but the government also screened what the opposition called ‘doctored pictures’ that portrayed Dr Besigye as having been in possession of a hammer.

But Mr Ssekandi refused the legislators to debate the two footages, saying debate on the matter had ended two days ago as he called for the passing of the motion.

Lack of commitment ?
“You saw how the government relayed pictures which were over-edited but the truth is known by all the Ugandans and the public will take action,” Mr Mafabi said. Soroti Woman MP Alice Alaso told Saturday Monitor that the government was not committed to solving the current problems.

“Both sides accept that mistakes were made but the government is denying everything, including the hooded man. How do we reconcile when they are in denial of everything. Let them own up their wrong doing and apologise to Ugandans,” she said.

Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Anywar said the motion was not binding at all because in most cases it is the police that teargassed unarmed people. But Mr Kasaija insisted that Besigye attempted to throw a hammer at the police and said they would investigate Daily Monitor, NTV and WBS television about the hooded picture.