Two police commanders have been charged with negligence of duty. The commanders are alleged to have caused the death of two people during security operations.
One of the charged officers is Caleb Asiimwe, who fired bullets that led to the death of a 15-year-old girl, Fazil Shamim Nantambala, on New Year’s night.
Asiimwe was the Officer in charge of Mbalala Police Station in Nama Sub-county, Mukono District. He was dispersing a crowd that was ushering in the New Year.
Police arrested Asiimwe and was charged in Mukono Chief Magistrate court on offences of acting negligently thus causing the death of a person.
Although Mukono residents including area politicians demanded that Asiimwe be prosecuted on murder offences, Charles Twine, the CID Spokesperson, said the DPP advised that murder was not an appropriate offence since it was not an intentional act.
The second officer who was charged is Medard Asiimwe, who is also accused of firing bullets that killed John Katumba alias Kenzo in October last year.
Asiimwe fired bullets inside a bar during curfew time. Police tried to rush Katumba to Mulago National Referral Hospital to save his life but he succumbed to the bullet wounds.
Medard was charged in Wakiso Chief Magistrates court alongside two Police Constables who were with him during the night operation.
Twine explains that the police officers have been released on court bail because their offences are triable by magistrate’s court.
This is not the first time police commanders have been accused of negligence. In 2019, Justus Bwiire fired bullets at Ndeeba in which area publicist David Kibuuka was left dead.
Bwiire was responding to a protest in which locals demanded Asians to open a path they had sealed off to protect their factory. Bwiire was also charged with doing a negligent act that caused the death of a person. Police say the two officers are now waiting for the court to fix the date for a full trial.