By The 505 Brigade Unit Disciplinary Court has arrested five UPDF soldiers who were recently seen on camera flogging a thief and reading allegations of torture against them.
The five, Chief Petty Officer Odong Richard Burton, Private Omara Martine Henry, Private Mongu Acel Sunday, Private Ogwang Denis, and Private Omara Morish, were charged on Thursday with torturing and causing harm to Omon Nelson, a civilian, on December 11, 2023, in violation of Sections 312(d) and 5(k) of the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, 2012. The court was presided over by Lieutenant Colonel ML Kiggundu.
The army decided to have a public hearing, therefore the court convened at Lagot Parish, Mucwini Sub-county, Kitgum district and hence they were remanded until today Friday 15th December 2023, when they would reappear before the 5th Division Court Martial, which has the authority to hear cases involving capital offenses, after they refuted the accusations.
Ebil Jimmy Ssegawa, the Kitgum District Resident District Commissioner, praised the UPDF leadership for apprehending the offenders and bringing them before the law.
Ebil denounced the crime and stated that the government’s role is to safeguard individuals’ rights, not to sanction or use torture as a tool of coercion or information extraction.
Col. Gai Mbandwa, the deputy commander of the 5th Infantry Division, gave the residents assurances that “this incident (torture) is not a UPDF policy.” We have arrested them since it was done on an individual basis.
The Deputy Defence Spokesperson Col Deo Akiiki assured that justice would prevail.
“In UPDF, we don’t have space for indiscipline, if you do anything bad, especially to wanainchi we take it seriously because our job is to protect the borders of this country, people and their property,” Col Akiiki said.
The Court was attended by the 505 Brigade Commander Col Patrick Opera, Kitgum District local leaders, and the local community, among others
