Net picture of handcuffed suspects
Benjamin Akampa, a suspect of stealing a Hisense flat screen has been found dead inside Buyanja police station, in Rukungiri district. The incident recorded on CRB 728/2023 occurred today morning at around 7:20 am.
ASP Elly Mate, the Kigezi regional police spokesperson, said Akampa who was also known as Kyojo was a resident of Kitojo Central, Bugyera parish, Buyanja sub-county. He said the deceased was being accused of stealing a TV screen belonging to Allan Atweta and it was valued 1.6 million shillings.
Atweta first reported a case of theft of his Hisense flat screen and was later joined by Ivan Niwamanya, Merry Tumuhairwe, Yusuf Tumuhabirwe and others to hunt for Akampa whom they found in a bar.
ASP Mate said Atweta and his colleagues first called Akampa to confirm where he was and he told them that he was in a bar at Murumba Trading Center. The group, according to ASP Mate, proceeded to the bar where they picked him up.
“They took him to the house of the complainant where it has been established that they allegedly beat him up. After he failed to reveal where the TV was, that’s when they took him to Buyanja Police Station at around 3 am and he was duly detained,” ASP Mate said.
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Police have said Akampa complained of stomach pain and was convulsing as if he was drunk. ASP Mate said a Police Constable Cherop who was in charge of night cells guard checked on the suspects at 6 am and talked to them including Akampa.
However, at around 7: 20am, the day cells guard SPC Begumisa Bazira, opened the cells and found Akampa lying down facing up. SPC Begumisa checked on him and realized he had died. Police later picked the TV owner and his colleagues who allegedly helped him to beat the hell out of the deceased.
Atweta, Tumuhairwe, Tumuhabirwe, and Niwamanya were arrested on orders of the District Police Commander –DPC. They will be arraigned in court to face charges of assault leading to death of a person. The Criminal Investigations Directorate –CID report of 2022 shows more than 250 people were killed in acts of mob action.