| Safe houses still exist - UHRC , New Vision - 22nd April 2004 |
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SERIOUS SITUATION: Bichetero and Omara at Parliament |
By Milton Olupot
THE Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) yesterday told Parliament that some security agencies were still maintaining safe houses where suspects’ rights were abused.
The team, led by acting commissioner Aliro Omara, was yesterday appearing before the legal and parliamentary affairs committee to present a summary of the budget estimates for 2004/2005.
Commissioner Veronica Bichetero Eragu said, “The commission still had limited access to detention centres. We were denied access to Makindye military Barracks. They have stopped us from entering other military detention centres.
“We were tipped by the local population about an incident on Balintuma Road in Mengo, but we were denied entrance. When we went back the place had been cleared. Whenever we find out about a place, it is cleared,” she said.
She told the committee chaired by Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri), that the commission had written to the Army commander asking for express
permission to visit any detention centre without prior information to such institutions.
“Our mandate does not require us to seek permission to visit a centre. We should have access at all times without restriction,” she said, adding that the Police and Prisons had been very cooperative and cases of rights abuse had reduced.
Aliro said the commission was constrained by lack of funds and could not do adequate investigations.
He said out of the draft estimate of sh6.14b, finance only provided sh4.2b.
MPs expressed concern that the finance ministry was not releasing enough money for the provision of services to the 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) whom they said were living in absurd conditions.
Published on: Thursday, 22nd April, 2004 |
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