Alleged “anti-gov’t” American arrested in Fort Portal

Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The arrest of US national, Guy Smith, from Fort Portal Tourism City has become one of the latest by security agencies who say they are cracking down on subversive crimes in the country.

In a statement posted on Twitter by the Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, a team from Special Investigations Division in Kireka arrested Smith on “March 21” for his alleged involvement in anti-government subversive activities.

By Monday evening, Police in Fort Portal was still unaware of Smith’s arrest. When our reporter contacted the Rwenzori West regional police spokesperson, Vincent Twesige, he said he needed more time to inquire about the matter.

According to his wife, Sharon Tusiime, Smith, aged 62 years, was picked from their home in Kitumba ward, Central Division of Fort Portal at around 3:30am on Sunday.

Tusiime narrates that even though she was not around on the same night, she has got reliable information that unknown people jumped over their fence and broke into their house.   She says that after they got it, they thoroughly checked the whole house, picked some phones and a computer before taking Smith.

Tusiime adds that Smith has stayed in Fort Portal for the past 2 years and three months.

“Police called me and said that he is in safe hands but I don’t know where,” Tusiime says.

Towards and after the January elections, hundreds of people in the country were arrested in the same way.

Normally, those who carry out the arrests are plain clothed security personnel who use Toyota Hiace vehicles that are also known as drones.

Even though the Minister of Internal Affairs, Jeje Odongo, recently released a list of 177 people whom he said were being investigated for a number of crimes, National Unity Platform – NUP said over 600 of its members were not on the list and are still unaccounted for.

To compel the state to release of the arrested members, NUP leaders in Tooro Sub-region  are organizing peaceful demonstrations in the seven districts and Fort Portal City that make up Tooro.

There are no details yet to indicate whether Smith is suspected of being linked to NUP or not.

Our reporter has already seen a letter written by Innocent Natukunda, the team leader of NUP coordinators in Tooro, notifying security organs about the planned demonstrations on March 30.

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URN