The minister for internal affairs, Jeje Odongo has told parliament that arrests of persons in the country will continue as long as there are security reasons to do so.
“I cannot stand and say there will be no more arrests! Arrests will continue as long as there is reason and it is conducted reasonably,” minister Odongo said.
Minister Odongo was on Thursday presenting a list of 177 missing persons who were arrested by security operatives.
He says 43 persons were arrested during the November 18/19 riots, 156 for being in possession of ‘military stores’ and 17 for holding meetings aimed at causing post election violence.
According to the list, 156 were arraigned before the army court where charges of unlawful possession of military stores were read to them and consequently remanded to Makindye military police prison pending trial.
The list also has 53 people who were arrested for participation in riots and a big number of them was also remanded to Makindye Military prison
The list was rejected by a number of MPs from the opposition who alleges some names were deliberately left out on the ministers list.
Masaka municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga said that the minister did not read even a tenth of the names on his list.
Similarly, the Kiira municipality members of parliamen, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, also the opposition chiefwhip in parliament tasked the minister to read out the names on his list so as legislators could compare with the lists they collected from their personal investigations.
However, the minister said in a statement that a total of 222 persons were arrested and 6 released on bond promising to establish the whereabouts of the persons whose names are listed on the lists possessed by opposition MPs but do not appear on his list.
“This is what I have so far, I will go back and check our systems to know where these persons are kept. I will look at the lists members have presented here and establish the whereabouts of these people,” Minister Jeje Odongo says as more MPs present their lists.
Section 161 of the UPDF Act stipulates that any person who acquires military stores or solicits or procures any person to dispose of military stores commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 340 currency points (Shs6.8 million) or imprisonment not exceeding 14 years or both.
Yesterday, the National UnityPlatform (NUP) released a list of 243 missing party supporters after attempts to get the list from security and internal affairs ministry became futile. It is not clear whose list is correct.
