The Uganda Police Force (UPF) has stated that anyone found in breach of guidelines in prevention of COVID-19 risk being charged with attempted suicide.
ASP Twiine Charles, the PRO CID made the remarks while addressing the media on the general security situation in the country. Twiine said, in the face of rising negligence and deliberate disregard of guidelines to prevent COVID-19 spread, police is considering slapping violators of SOPs with an extra charge of attempted suicide.
“We are looking at the way how people are recklessly going in circumstances that can lead them to contract a sickness and later on die! So, we see no reason as to why we should not charge them with attempted suicide because you are doing a deliberate action that you know can cost life” Twine said.
“We are mindful and cognizant that there are some people will contract COVID accidentally and actually they are the majority” he added saying the charge will send an additional warning to those who have started acting recklessly in the face of rising COVID-19 infections globally.
Twiine noted that as Christmas season approaches, there is a likelihood of widespread infections of coronavirus to upcountry areas as urban dwellers go for holidays in villages where cases of infections have been low. He made an appeal to members of the public to adhere to guidelines in prevention of coronavirus.
In Uganda, suicide becomes an offence if a person attempts to kill him/herself but fails. A person who attempts to kill him/herself is liable to imprisonment for up to 2 years.
On the brutal arrests that police conducted on Tuesday during nominations for presidential candidates, Twiine said police was incited by political actors.
“Police is never brutal, but sometimes we encounter a charged group of people that have deliberately been incited by political optimists” ASP Twine said.
On Thursday, Civil Society groups under Citizen’s Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda issued demands for arrest and prosecution of police officers who were involved in political violence on Tuesday during presidential nominations.
During the confrontations, police fired teargas and live bullets to disperse supporters of Presidential candidates Robert Kyagulanyi in which several supporters sustained serious injuries while others were arrested. Hon. Kyagulanyi and Hon. Patrick Amuriat Oboi were brutally arrested but later released.
Twiine however stated that police will not relent and ready oppose anyone with intentions of disrupting peace.
“Police is ready to withstand any hardships, oppose any enemy with intentions of disrupting peace, but shall take any opportunity and ally with any body/institution that’s willing to join us in the trenches as vanguard of peace, justice and tranquility’ Twiine said.
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