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| Moses Kipsiro (triple Commonwealth gold medalist) turned aggressive and efforts to calm him down proved futile. |
What was otherwise a peaceful national cross-country turned bloody when security personnel tried to arrest one of the team officials.
The senior men’s race had just ended at the Chairman’s Park in Jinja when plain-clothed police personnel surrounded Bukwo Athletics Club’s Sande Satya.
Jinja DPC Apollo Kateba later said that Satya, a brother to triple Commonwealth gold medalist Moses Kipsiro, is alleged to have committed murder in Kapchorwa.
The police however displayed no arrest warrant.
Enraged members of the Bukwo team did not allow Satya to be apprehended.
Describing the arrest as a malicious move masterminded by police coach Peter Wemali, the Bukwo team went up in arms to ward off the security personnel.
They grabbed sticks and stones and fought. Punches were exchanged as activities in the well-attended event briefly came to a standstill.
In the mix were Kateba and Iganga Regional Police Commander Asharf Chemonges, who had also turned up as cross-country participants.
The two officers tried to calm the situation but the furious Bukwo group was not about to relent.
The arresting officers failed to handcuff Satya and fled to their waiting car and sped off with the angry group chasing them.
The fight left Satya bleeding from the mouth and some buttons of his shirts ripped off.
Kateba later said that he could not allow an arrest to take place at the function.
“An arrest would have spoilt the day for others. It was also a wrong forum. If someone committed a crime in Kapchorwa, then that’s where the arrest should have taken place,” explained Kateba.
Kateba also said he was never consulted on the impending arrest.
The arresting officers failed to handcuff Satya and fled to their waiting car and sped off with the angry group chasing them.
The fight left Satya bleeding from the mouth and some buttons of his shirts ripped off.
Kateba later said that he could not allow an arrest to take place at the function.
“An arrest would have spoilt the day for others. It was also a wrong forum. If someone committed a crime in Kapchorwa, then that’s where the arrest should have taken place,” explained Kateba.
Kateba also said he was never consulted on the impending arrest.
Kipsiro and his teammates insisted Satya was being framed following a grudge Wemali has with his family.
Wemali was suspended last year following accusations of sexual harassment. Kipsiro was one of those who called for action to be taken against Wemali.
“He is using his position as a police officer to come after my family,” a bitter Kipsiro complained.
UAF secretary Beatrice Ayikoru explained on Sunday that Wemali was cleared of the accusations by an investigation.
She however criticized the manner in which police tried to carry out the arrest. “They shouldn’t have disrupted our function.”
She however criticized the manner in which police tried to carry out the arrest. “They shouldn’t have disrupted our function.”
James Bakama newvision
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