Police Refuse to Shed Light on Arrest of Former CID Spokesperson

The Uganda Police Force (UPF) has maintained silence on the reported disappearance of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Charles Twine, the former spokesperson for the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID). 

Twine allegedly went missing last week after being summoned to meet with the Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba, and his deputy, James Ochaya, for undisclosed reasons.

Sources indicate that Twine traveled on Tuesday night for the meeting, which was scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that following the meeting, Twine was handed over to soldiers from the Special Forces Command (SFC), who were allegedly waiting in a vehicle parked within the premises of Naguru Police Headquarters. Since then, both the police and the SFC have remained tight-lipped about his whereabouts.

During a weekly security press briefing at the Naguru Police Headquarters this morning, Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said he had no information about Twine’s disappearance. “At the moment, I have no information about Twine’s disappearance that I can comment on. I speak for the police based on what I’m provided with. We’ll wait and see if there’s any development regarding his arrest, and I’ll communicate accordingly,” Kituuma said.

When asked about the growing number of alleged abductions in the country, Rusoke dismissed the concerns, suggesting they were politically motivated claims by the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP). “I don’t understand what you mean by abductions. If you’re referring to arrests for political reasons, I won’t comment on that. However, if it’s about legitimate arrests, we apprehend and produce suspects in court. If someone is missing, please come and report to the police,” he added.

NUP has consistently accused security forces of abducting its supporters. The latest reported case involves Abed Nasser Mudiobole, a lawyer from Iganga, who was allegedly abducted from Kyaliwajjala over the weekend. 

According to NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, Mudiobole was invited to meet a client but was instead confronted by armed men and forced into a drone vehicle before being driven to an undisclosed location.

“Earlier in the day, he was at the NUP headquarters with other leaders from Eastern Uganda, discussing the upcoming youth elections. Again, these crimes do not project strength. They project weakness and fear,” Kyagulanyi stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter.