Birimumaaso Flees Kalangala As Police Arrest Body Guards

Mulindwa Birimumaaso, the presidential advisor on Buganda affairs has reportedly gone into hiding following the arrest of his guards for their alleged involvement in assaulting a National Forestry Authority-NFA official and police officer. The suspects are Alex Asiimwe, Fred Tumwesigye and Medard Tumukunde, were picked up from Pearl Gardens beach, which belongs to Birimumaaso on Monday morning.

 

They are wanted together with Birimumaaso in connection to the brutal attack on Moses Kirya, the Kalangala National Forestry Authority Inspector and Herbart Nyana, a cop attached to Kalangala Police station. It is alleged that Bilimumaaso and his guards assaulted the Kirya and Nyana when they intervened on Friday to stop them from destroying Lutoboka central forest reserve to pave way for the construction of a shopping mall.

 

During the scuffle, Birimumaaso allegedly bit Kirya's finger and cheeks. Nyana claims that Mulindwa’s men roughed him up and disarmed him with the help of their boss before they assaulted him. Noah Sserunjogi, the greater Masaka Region Police Spokesperson says officers from Kalangala police station stormed Pearl Gardens Beach to arrest the presidential advisor but they found he had left Kalangala.

 

He says they cops managed to pick up his guards after the victims pinned them for their alleged involvement in the brutal attack.  Sserunjoji says they also recovered power saws that were used to cut down trees in the reserve, which they intend to use as exhibits.

 

He says they have opened three cases the suspects, which include assault, disarming a cop and encroachment on a forest reserve contrary to section 32 of the Forest and Tree Planting Act 2003. The cases have been recorded vide CRB Number 1131/2013, 1132/2013 and 1133/2013.

Moses Kirya, the Kalangala NFA Inspector says the NFA headquarters has deployed additional law enforcement personnel to prevent Birimumaaso from destroying the forest reserve. He says despite the fact that Birimumaaso has evaded arrest in Kalangala; they have deployed a team to hunt him down and bring him to justice.