UHRC dismisses two compensation cases over falsehood

By Our Reporter

The Uganda Human Rights Commission has dismissed two cases filed against the Attorney General, citing fabricated claims and inconsistent testimonies intended to defraud the government.

The cases were brought by Gumex Okwanga, who alleged a police officer killed his brother’sson, Richard Okweny and Tonny Odongo, a former inmate who claimed he was tortured by a prison warder.

The tribunal, chaired by Mariam Fauzat Wangadya, recently delivered the ruling at the Human Rights Regional Office in Lira City.

Odongo, a resident of Acanako Village in Lira District, alleged that he and other inmates were taken from Lira Main Prison to work on a cassava garden in Boke, which was privately owned by a local resident.

While they were working in the garden, two inmates escaped. In response, prison warders opened fire, causing panic among the remaining inmates, who began to flee out of fear. Odongo claims that although he did not attempt to escape, the warders accused him of being one of the escapees.

He alleged that he was immediately arrested, tied to a tree with a rope, and severely beaten by the prison officers and sustained severe injuries.

In his 2014 statement, Odongo admitted that he was among the inmates who escaped from the cassava garden, claiming he was influenced by a fellow inmate.

However, during cross-examination by the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Odongo denied ever attempting to escape. He argued that the initial statement was inaccurately recorded by the person who took it.

When asked directly by the tribunal, “Tell us the truth, when the two inmates escaped, didn’t you also escape?” – Odongo denied the allegation.

The tribunal also questioned Odongo about his earlier statement in which he claimed to have given Shs150,000 to a prison officer to avoid being formally charged with escape.

However, under cross-examination, Odongo also denied making any such payment, insisting that as an inmate, he had no access to money and could not have bribed any officer.

Odongo further claimed that upon his release, he was admitted to Lira University Hospital for treatment related to the alleged beating. However, the tribunal, led by Chairperson Wangadya, rejected this claim, stating there was no record of such hospitalization in the commission’s files.

Meanwhile, Okwanga alleged that his brother’s son, Okweny, was arrested and detained at Dokolo Police Station, and was later shot and killed by police officers. However, the Uganda Human Rights Commission raised serious doubts about the credibility of this claim.

 Wangadya stated that upon review, it was discovered that Okwanga is not the biological father of the deceased, and that the investigation into the alleged killing was incomplete. “There is no sufficient evidence on file to validate the claims,” Wangadya said.

She also noted discrepancies in the official records. According to case files reviewed from both Dokolo Police and Lira Magistrate’s Court, the charge against the accused officer – initially registered as murder – was later reduced to manslaughter. The suspect, identified as Owani, was eventually released, and the case dismissed by the court.

Pauline Nansamba Mutumba, the Director for Complaints, Investigations, and Legal Servicesat the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), has acknowledged that some cases before the tribunalhave taken more than 16 years to resolve due to persistent resource constraints.

She said the government has provided resources to the Commission, and so far, have held tribunal sessions in five regions and disposed of about 65 cases.

When asked why many complainants and witnesses were retracting or contradicting their earlier statements, Mutumba explained that a number of them have prior conflicts with the law, and their records may not always be consistent or credible.

“Sometimes, a complainant may feel ashamed of their past actions and choose to deny them later. But we always encourage both complainants and witnesses to stick to the truth and state exactly what happened. The moment you create doubt in the minds of the tribunal, it can significantly affect the outcome of your case, she warned.

Mutumba emphasized that forgery and fraudulent claims remain a major concern. “Fraud and forgery are issues that concern all of us – both the complainants who bring the cases and our investigators. That’s why it’s important to thoroughly analyze and verify every piece of evidence we receive,” she said.