Police Release Sheikh Kalule Days After IGP Ochola Is Grilled By MPs
The Police have quietly released Sheikh Dr Ismail Kalule 12 days after he was re-arrested despite being released on court bail and two days after the new police Chief Okoth Ochola was grilled on the subject by angry Members of Parliaments.
Kalule was released from police custody on Saturday. He was delivered to his home in Kiwatule at 5pm on Saturday evening to the delight and surprise of his relatives and friends who didn’t expect to see him.
At his home he found his mother Fatuma Kabega who, overjoyed to see his son free, she screamed and called out the neighbors who flocked the home to welcome the cleric.
Kalule’s release comes just two days after the new police leadership led by Ochola was put on the spot while appearing before Parliament’s Defense and Internal Affairs Committee on Thursday for carrying on with the controversial method of re-arresting suspects who are granted court bail.
The method of Police re-arresting suspects after receiving bail from court was started during the reign of disgraced former Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura.
Kayihura was dismissed as IGP in March and days after his firing the President told an International Women’s day National Celebration how he had rid the police force of weevils. The knifing of Kayihura came after many of his aides were arrested by the army and charged with several crimes in the general Court Martial.
Kayihura was replaced by his deputy Ochola a career policeman who Kayihura had sidelined from all police operations for 12 years. Bridagier Sabiiti Magyenyi previously with military police was named as Ochola’s deputy.
READ MORE: IGP Ochola Blasts CID Boss Over Re-Arrest Of Sheikh Kalule
When he appeared before MPs on Thursday Ochola was reminded by Kawempe Municipality MP Mubaraka Munyangwa of his promise to change the ways police operates.
Munyagwa said: ‘When you became IGP we expected change, you promised to change the way police works, we expected real change in the way police conducts its affairs. But illegal acts by police have continued under your watch. Recently court granted bail to Dr. Ismail Kalule but the police rearrested him.’
Ochola in response revealed how he had blasted his CID director Grace Akullo after Kalule’s re-arrest from court premises, as he was being processed for release following bail.
Ochola said: ‘I personally called the Director CID and cautioned her. I told her such a thing should never happen again.’
The Director CID, Grace Akullo, who was also before the same committee assured the MPs that re-arrests of suspects would stop. Akullo said Kalule was being detained at Special Investigations unit at Kireka and will soon be charged in court.
On Saturday evening Kalule was released from custody and was at home meeting with excited friends and relatives. Just hours after arriving home, Kalule led the 7:00pm Magharib prayers at Kiwatule Mosque where he thanked Allah for preserving him during the ‘darkest days’.
Kalule was granted bail by Justice Moses Mukibi on April 10 2018 after spending over seven years in prison. The state alleges Kalule is a terrorist and a terror sympathizer.
He was charged with masterminding the July 11 2010 Kyadondo twin bombings but courts acquitted him on May 26, 2016 and freed him only for gunmen to re-arrest him as he stepped out of court a free man.
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Well done IGP Ochola. We have faith in you and we hope you and your team of professionals will change the face of the Uganda Police Force. Gold bless u.