Army, police chiefs meet over Lt Gen Tumukunde

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT  Top army and police chiefs on Wednesday held a meeting at the Criminal Investigation Directorate hours before former Security Minister, Lieutenant General, Henry Tumukunde was expected to appear for interrogation. 

According to the summons issued on Tuesday by the Director Criminal Investigations Department, Grace Akullo, General Tumukunde was expected to record a statement on his alleged secret meeting with army veterans.   

“The CID is investigating allegations to the effect that, on several occasions, at your office and residence both in Kololo and other locations with in the country, you have held meetings with Army veterans discussing issues related to politics,” Akullo said. 

The meeting, held at the office of the Director Criminal Investigations Department, Grace Akullo, was attended by Director Police Crime Intelligence, Brigadier Chris Ddamulira, Police Director in Charge of Legal Affairs, Erasmus Twaruhukwa,  Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence Commander, Major General Abel Kandiho and another representative from CMI. 

A senior detective at CID said the commanders met to discuss the appropriate questions to ask Tumukunde but also to form a team that could handle him in case he became a bit violent like he did in March when he was first arrested.

“You know he is a General and a lawyer. Asking him about meeting Army veterans can annoy him. You remember in March, he pushed our detectives who went to his home and office at Kololo. We needed a team that had uniform questions but also a team he could not despise like he did last time,” a senior detective said.

But Tumukunde never showed up. Instead, he sent his lawyers led by Friday Roberts Kagoro to represent him. Kagoro said that his client Tumukunde was unable to appear at CID because he was arrested on Tuesday in Buikwe where he had gone for a consultative meeting.

The security chiefs continued with their meeting after a brief discussion with  Tumukunde’s lawyers. CID Spokesperson, Charles Twine, said the security chiefs agreed with lawyers that Lt Gen Tumukunde must show up for interrogations on Tuesday next week, without fail. 

Lieutenant General, Henry Tumukunde is one of the more than 30 people who have expressed interest in contesting for presidency in the 2021 presidential elections.  The three-star General is out on court bail after he was charged with treason and unlawful possession of firearms in March.

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