Authorities in eastern Uganda have arrested two police officers and three civilians in connection with the death of a 35-year-old man in custody at Busembatia Police Post, located in Bugweri District.
The deceased, Joel Gabantu, a resident of Busembatia Town Council, was detained on 30 July following a complaint of phone theft made by a local woman. Eyewitnesses claim he was assaulted during his arrest.
On Saturday, Busoga East police spokesperson Michael Kafayo confirmed that both the arresting officers and three other individuals—who were held in the same cell with Gabantu—had been taken into custody to aid ongoing investigations.
“The civilians detained were suspects who were sharing a cell with the deceased at the time of his death,” Mr Kafayo said.
According to police, Gabantu had been accused of stealing an Infinix smartphone worth UGX 700,000. During the arrest, which was conducted by two officers—one of whom held the rank of sergeant—Gabantu allegedly sustained injuries and later died while in custody.
Mr Kafayo stated that the five suspects are now being held at Bugweri District Police Station as investigations continue.
The body was transferred to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for a postmortem to establish the exact cause of death, including whether it resulted from physical assault, suffocation, or other factors.
This incident adds to a series of reported deaths in custody in Uganda, raising renewed concern about the treatment of suspects in detention facilities.
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