Kampala, Uganda | URN | Top army and police spy chiefs on Wednesday 19, August 2020 held a meeting at the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) hours before the expected appearance of former Security minister Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde.
According to the summons issued on Tuesday 18th by the director of CID Grace Akullo, Gen Tumukunde was expected to appear for interrogation over allegations that he secretly met army veterans.
“The CID is investigating allegation to the effect that on several occasions at your office and residence both in Kololo and other locations within the country, you have held meetings with army veterans discussing issues related to politics,” Akullo said.
The security meeting was attended by the director police crime intelligence, Brig Chris Ddamulira, police director in charge of legal affairs, Erasmus Twaruhukwa, Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) commander, Maj Gen Abel Kandiho and another representative from CMI.
The meeting was held at Akullo’s office in anticipation that Gen Tumukunde would personally appear but he did not show up. Gen Tumukunde, instead sent his lawyers led by Friday Roberts Kagoro to represent him. The lawyers found the meeting of spy chiefs ongoing but it was halted.
A senior detective at CID said, the commanders met to discuss the appropriate questions to ask Gen 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 after he allegedly invited neighbouring Rwanda to interest itself in regime change in Uganda.
He made the comments while appearing on a TV show on NBS TV and was subsequently charged with treason and unlawful possession of firearms and is currently out on bail.
“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 disperse like he did last time,” a senior detective said.
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Kagoro said that his client, Gen Tumukunde was unable to appear at CID because he was arrested on Tuesday in Buikwe for allegedly flouting the coronavirus preventive guidelines on public meetings and was still psychologically tortured where he had gone for a consultative meeting. The security chiefs thereafter continued with their meeting.
CID spokesperson, Charles Twine, said the security chiefs agreed with lawyers that Gen Tumukunde must show up for interrogations on Tuesday next week without fail. Gen Tumukunde is one of the more than 30 people who have expressed interest in contesting for presidency in the 2021 presidential elections.
