Bail to suspected killers must stop, Museveni tells courts

President Museveni has asked the police and courts to desist from granting bond and bail to persons suspected murderers.

Speaking after reading of the FY 2018/19 national budget today, Museveni said he has been provoked enough by killers and he does not want to continue conflicting with the two institutions.

“There are two things I am not going to accept anymore; police bonds and bail. I don’t want to hear about them again. Somebody suspected of killing our people, you give him/her police bond? No way! This is not acceptable,” Museveni said at Serena conference centre amid applause from participants.

“I have been very soft on these institutions [police and court] who are always stepping on us.” Museveni added.

Any arrested person and taken to police may be released on police bond on guarantee that one will turn up whenever required while bail is the release of an accused person by court before completion of the case on the understanding that the released person will turn up for trial whenever requires.

The accused is also required to give security in form of cash or other property while the police bond is free of charge. According to Museveni, fighting urban crime is not as complicated but laxity in security has created some gaps that need to be fixed.

“I know people are very angry, sad, worried; but I am sad, angry but confident that we are going to defeat these pigs. This [pig] is a biblical statement not from me and you should ask Jesus,” Museveni said quoting Mathew 7:6 that “Jesus said thou shall not put your pearls before pigs.”

He reiterated that pigs do not appreciate value and instead of giving them gold, they need earthworms.

“These [killers] are pigs. We have dealt with pigs before and actually these are smaller pigs to deal with. By the end of the day, all those who have been involved shall be exposed and we shall crash them,” Museveni said.

“DEAD POLICE”

Museveni said the fallen Arua municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga and his bodyguard would be rescued if there was vigilance by the whole community and quick response from the police.

On Friday last week, the duo was shot dead as they approached Abiriga’s home in Kawanda, which the president referred to as a “senseless killing”.

“In the case of Abiriga, apparently these killers came, they lingered in the trading centre, they were seen before and actually some of the people talked to the police but it was all lax and did not follow up,” he said.

For the late AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi and body guard, Museveni said police did not swing into action to save them despite initial clues of suspected boda bodas in the area.

He urged the public to report anything suspicious to their area political leaders like MPs and LC5 chairpersons who can quickly respond to “wake-up the dead and sleepy police.”

He requested the speaker of parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, to accord him time next week to give an analysis of crime and what government is doing combat it.

In a bid to improve security, Finance minister Matia Kasaija said the Safe City project involving installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTs) will be implemented.

Kasaija said a Regional Forensic Referral Center (RFRCs), the Crime Record Management System (CRMS), and enhanced training of investigators will also be implemented to improve the capacity of the police to deal with crime.

MEDIA WARNED

Meanwhile, Museveni also lashed out at the media particularly Daily Monitor for “mishandling” reporting on the country’s debt referring to it as an evil newspaper. “Red Pepper [newspaper] are just stupid.”

“They are saying Uganda is indebted, we are borrowing too much and our children will die from paying debts yet our debt is 38 per cent far below 50 per cent where there’s danger,” Museveni said.

“That debt talk by Monitor; the paper of Aga Khan who is getting a lot of money here must stop otherwise I will do something about it.”

According to the 2018/19 budget speech, as at March 2018, the public debt stood at $10.53bn of which $7.18bn is external and $3.35bn domestic.

“The ratio of public debt to GDP now stands at 38.1 per cent in nominal terms. This is much lower than the threshold of 50 per cent beyond which public debt becomes unstainable,” Kasaija said.

He added: “Our public debt is therefore sustainable over the short to medium term, even when we include the financing required for priority projects in the pipeline.”

 nangonzi@observer.ug