RUKUNGIRI, UGANDA: Police in Rukungiri district are investigating how Benjamin Akampa, a suspect accused of stealing a Hisense flat-screen TV was found dead inside Buyanja police station, in Rukungiri district on Friday morning.
The incident recorded on CRB 728/2023 occurred at around 7:20 am according to ASP Elly Mate, the Kigezi regional police spokesperson.
Mr Maate confirmed the incident and said the deceased (Akampa) who was also known as Kyojo, a resident of Kitojo Central, Bugyera parish, Buyanja sub-county had been arrested and detained at the police post after he allegedly stole a TV valued at 1.6m shillings belonging to one Allan Atweta.
“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,” said Maate.
“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,” he added.
Maate said that Akampa complained of stomach pain and was convulsing as if he was drunk and that Police Constable Cherop who was in charge of the night cells guard checked on the suspects at 6 am and talked to them including Akampa.
“However, at around 7: 20 am, 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,” he said.
Police later picked the TV owner and his colleagues who allegedly helped him to beat the hell out of the deceased.
Maate said Atweta, Tumuhairwe, Tumuhabirwe, and Niwamanya were arrested on orders of the District Police Commander –DPC and will be arraigned in court to face charges of assault leading to the death of a person.
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