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ISO arrests four Teso politicians
By Patrick Elobu Angonu
Security operatives have arrested four politicians in Teso, two of them former agents of Kizza Besigye in the 2001 presidential elections.Regional police commander (Mid Eastern), Bob Ngobi, confirmed the arrest Thursday of Charles Willy Ekemu, Francis Ogwang Olebe, Stephen Okurut and Dr Peter Eriaku but declined to divulge details.
He said the operatives of the Internal Security Organisation executed the arrests.
Ekemu was Besigye�s campaign co-ordinator in Teso. He contested the Soroti mayoral elections on the Reform Agenda ticket and lost to the Movement chairman, Michael Egunyu by 18 votes.
Dr Peter Eriaku stood in Kapelebyong county on a Reform Agenda ticket and lost to John Malinga.
Ogwang Olebe stood in the 1997 mayoral elections on a multiparty ticket and lost to Egunyu, while Stephen Okurut is a retired Senior Superintendent of Police and former commandant of Police Training College, Kibuli.
Army Spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza yesterday said there is no security threat in Teso to draw the attention of the military.
�Those arrests could have been conducted by ISO or Wembley Operatives,� he said. �But I don�t have information.�
Ekemu�s father, Omaswa Philly said he is contemplating court action against the State should the government not produce his son in court within 48 hours from 11:30 am Thursday.
The arrests have attracted tension and sharp criticism from residents and area MPs.
Kasilo MP Elijah Okupa yesterday condemned the arrests and called upon the government to produce the politicians in court.
�This is a barbaric and cowardly desperate attempt by the Movement to deter the people of Teso from freely presenting their views to the Constitutional Review Commission,� he said.
Earlier in Kasilo, Okupa took on the CRC for allegedly allowing a group led by the National Political Commissar, Dr Crispus Kiyonga to pass around collecting views from people on its behalf.
However, Ateker Ejalu, a member of the Commission said th! ey were aware of an organisation which was passing around as Gender Resource Center (GRC) which was purportedly educating people on how to present their views.
He denied accusations that the CRC works with the Movement Secretariat to stage-manage the views of the people in favour of giving President Yoweri Museveni a third term.
�As a matter of fact, we�ve complained against the interference of our work by the Secretariat and we�ve asked the GRC to stop masquerading as CRC,� he said.
The Commission winds up receiving public views in Teso today.
January 11, 2003 01:29:36
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