RE: BRIEF ON THE ACCIDENT REGARDING THE TRAFFIC OFFICER AT NAMANVE
It was on Sunday the 24th of May, 2020 at around 07:15pm when I was on my way home to Mukono from Zana, Kampala. I was driving motor vehicle Reg. No. UAS 597U in the company of my wife and the bodyguard.
As I approached Namanve, there was traffic officer riding a motorcycle infront of me who was also moving towards Seeta Mukono. Upon approaching Namanve SGA motor vehicle inspection facility about 200 metres from a road CCTV Camera, I saw an incoming motor vehicle from Mukono side being driven at a very high speed knock the traffic officer who was on the motorcycle. I was behind the traffic officer at a distance of about 100 metres and therefore in a position to clearly see the incident. The traffic officer appeared to had tried to dodge a rough part of the road on his side and collided with a high speeding vehicle that had also left its part of the lane for reasons not known to me. Upon collision, I saw a dust of glasses and fragments filling the atmosphere and the motorcycle flew to my vehicle, on the driver’s side and scratched the vehicle as it rolled passed me.
I immediately stopped to assess the condition of the traffic officer. The traffic officer had been thrown into a ditch on the left hand side of the road. My bodyguard tried to pull the injured traffic officer from the trench but humanely failed. He complained to me that the traffic officer got broken legs and that without gloves he could not do much. We agreed that we needed to seek for help. I immediately rang a traffic officer known to me by the names of Aheisibwe on 0772323312 whom I had passed along Kinawataka road. I implored him to mobilise his colleagues to go and help the victim.
In the meantime, the onlookers who had gathered around were photographing my car imagining that it is the one that knocked the traffic officer.
I rushed to Seeta and I found a traffic officer called Acan (Tel. 0770540930) and others on a patrol vehicle. I personally approached them and implored them to rush to the scene. I gave them my phone number for a follow up. The police promised to alert me on every development and they rushed to the scene.
On the following day, when it clocked afternoon without any information, I again rung the traffic officer Aheisibwe for the updates. I was informed that the officer was retrieved and was being hospitalized.
In the meantime, I started seeing information attributed to the police on the social media which was to the effect that it is my vehicle which knocked the traffic officer. That my vehicle and its driver are being sought. This shocked me.
Later, on tuesday, I got a call from Ms. Acan of Seeta Police seeking my presence. I dispatched my bodyguard and a driver by the names of Hamis to take my vehicle to police and for the body guard to record a statement. To my surprise, upon reaching police, both were immediately detained. With this kind of development, I suspected foul play. It appeared to me that police of all institutions, wanted to take advantage of my position and malign us by embarrassing me.
In the meantime, I requested police to send an officer to take my statement. I was told to hold on. Considering what I now see in the media, I seek from the police the following clarifications:-
Why is police still holding my bodyguard and driver whom I entrusted to take the vehicle to police so that he takes charge of it to avert any possibility of tampering with it. What offence have these 2 people committed?Why is police not referring to any CCTV footage regarding the collision yet the accident occurred about 150 metres or thereabout from the camera?A Ford motor vehicle Reg. No. UBD 896E has been revealed to be the one that knocked the traffic officer. How did this vehicle reach Bweyogerere Police?Why was police condemning me before getting the driver of the Ford UBD 896E? why are its pictures not being released to the media but its only mine which are being released?
Judiciary as an Institution is being maligned and it should therefore demand for the following:-
The CCTV footage of the collision.An explanation why the Ford driver never stopped to offer help or to ascertain the life of the knocked traffic officer if his version of the incident is the correct one to be believed.
The release of my driver and the bodyguard who up to date are still being held for no apparent reason (it is suspected that police intends to intimidate them to divert from the truth).
A forensic examination of both vehicles and the motor cycle which the traffic officer was riding and then the surface of the road at the scene.
It is my firm belief that the above will reflect the truth. The just God we serve shall judge.
Byaruhanga Jesse Rugyema
JUDGE
c.c. The Principal Judge
