A joint security team has searched the offices of former security minister also a presidential aspirant, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde.

The search at Tumukunde’s premises was conducted by the elite Special Forces Command (SFC), Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force (JATT), Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID).

CID director AIGP Grace Akullo spearheaded Tumukunde’s arrest on Thursday March, 12, 2020. She again, today superintended the search at the three-star general’s home and office in Kololo.

Tumukunde declined a search of his office and home on Thursday night and tasked Akullo to present a search warrant.

“Where is the search warrant? I thought you are a lawyer. Was the law amended?” Tumukunde asked Akullo.

Akullo decided to have Tumukunde taken to CID headquarters at Kibuli on Thursday night where he spent about five hours until he was driven to Special Investigations Division (SID) in Kireka at 3 am.

Sources revealed that Akullo who was backed up with ACP Francis Olugu, also head of general crimes desk at CID sent his team to court and they obtained a search warrant before they brought Tumukunde from SID to witness a search of his premises.

Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, who issued a joint security statement saying Tumukunde, had been arrested on charges of treason, declined to give an update on the search that took place at the suspect’s home.

Nevertheless, his lawyer Alex Luganda confirmed that a search had been conducted at his client’s office not at his home and he was not under house arrest as earlier reported.

“There isn’t search on-going at his home and is not under house arrest but to be taken back to Kireka SIU [Special Investigation Unit/Division] after search for detention,” Luganda said.

Enanga issued a joint statement on Friday morning explaining that Tumukunde was arrested on charges of treason. Enanga added that Tumukunde’s premises at Kololo are being secured to enable a search for any additional evidence of material value.

“The arrest follows his utterances in a series of radio and television interviews, which seek to foster hatred that might lead to inter-community violence, fomenting and glorifying violence in general,” Enanga said.

“He is, therefore, being charged under Sections 23 (2) b and 23 (3) b, of the Penal code Act, which deals with instigating persons to invade the Republic of Uganda and inciting any persons to make a mutinous assembly,” Enanga added.

Tumukunde’s arrest comes a week after he notified the Electoral Commission that he will be conducting consultative meetings for his presidential bid.

Tumukunde featured on various media houses from where he intimated that he would support groups fighting for change in Uganda if he was in one of the neighbouring countries.