Ntungamo, (UG): The Regional Police Commander in Rwizi Region has directed the Ntungamo District Police Commander (DPC), Bushaija Hannington to respond to the alleged charges relating to unlawful forcible entry and malicious damage of property at the home of a top UN Diplomat.
The victim identified as Mr Gaston Bashobora, is a resident of Nyakarcete Cell, Rwamagando Ward, Rwamabondo Town Council, in Ntungamo District, who currently works with the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).
Through his lawyers of Interlink Associated Advocates, the diplomat in a petition to the RPC accuses DPC Bushaija of leading the group of men who attacked Bashobora’s home on the 23rd of November in a violent incident that unfolded at around 3 pm.
“Our client has intimated to us that on the 23rd day of November 2023, at about 15:00 hours, his home was attacked by his brother Aryatureeba Frank aka Ruguza Frank, his sister Besigye Kellen, his father Remegio Ruguza and other unidentified men led by the DPC Ntungamo District,” the letter dated November 24 reads in part.
The lawyers further argue that the group spontaneously attacked the said home and the DPC, in particular, broke into the house and vandalized the CCTV System before making away with the system decoder, purportedly to destroy any evidence of the incident.
“The DPC also carried away our client’s suitcases containing his personal documents. Our client is yet to reach his house to ascertain what is missing in his house. The DPC arrested our client’s servants, namely David Okoth, ‘Turinawe Deus, Samuel Kanyesigye and our client’s brother Richard Kabonero who are currently being held at Ntungamo Police Station on trumped-up charges of threatening violence,” the lawyers further assert.
According to the lawyers, the actions of the DPC therefore, amount to the unlawful eviction of Bashobora from his house and the displacement of his family without valid court orders. They, therefore, requested the RPC to swiftly intervene and have the DPC disciplined for his unlawful acts.
“The purpose of this letter thus is to request as we hereby do that you intervene and prevail on the DPC-Ntungamo District to stop taking the law into his own hands and to procure the release of our client’s servants and also to direct the police officers to vacate our client’s house and cease the unlawful occupation of our client’s home and restore sanity in our client’s home,” the lawyers urged the Regional Police Commander.
The RPC acknowledged receipt of the petition and directed the accused DPC to “involve stakeholders and handle the matter professionally.”
Further information obtained by DailyExpress indicates that Bashobora’s family is currently battling a land wrangle case which is registered at Mbarara High Court, under Court civil suit no. 76 of 2020 arising from Administrative Cause No. 29 of 2020.
Despite the suit being set for a court hearing on December 14, 2023, the plaintiffs in the case including the UN diplomat Gaston Bashobora have already been arrested on charges of criminal trespass into the properties on the estate and have since been remanded.
Their attempts to secure bail returned futile and have to wait until December 11 when they will return to court for bail hearing, two days before the hearing of the court case at Mbarara High Court.
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