The Forum for Democratic Change has accused the police for illegal arrest and detention of the Party members at central Police Station.

Gulu District FDC Chairman Ojara Martin Mapenduzi told a press briefing today that a number of their supporters have been arrested and detained at CPS and their relatives have been denied access to the detainees.

Police arrested five suspected member of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change Red Brigade in Gulu. The suspects were picked up last Tuesday from Aswa County.

Only one of the suspects has been identified as Ocan Oryanag. Martin Amoru, the northern regional Police Commander says that they arrested the suspects following a tip off that FDC was recruiting youths to disrupt the 2011 polls and cause violence.

He says that their intelligence shows that the recruits had also been given uniforms and rain boots. But he says that police has only recovered blue rain boots from the suspects.

Amoru says that investigations are on going to establish the exact intention of the suspects. However, the arrest of the youths has not gone down well with the FDC leadership.

Martin Ojara Mapinduzi, the FDC party chairman in Gulu accuses police of bowing to pressure from the NRM party leadership to victimize the youths.

Ojara says that the rain boots that police claims to have recovered from the youths were distributed to the party supporters who performed local songs and dances during ceremonies to celebrate the nomination of the party candidates.

Uganda Police Chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura

Ojara however admitted that the party has recruited groups named Red and Black brigades but who he said are tipped to oversee security and order at FDC party functions.

He wondered why the Yellow brigade that belongs to the NRM is not facing similar investigations.

Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Uganda Police recently pitched camp in Aswa County for three weeks. At the time, FDC party officials accused Kayihura of recruiting militias but the police chief said that he was merely recruiting a group of crime preventers who would work with the police to report criminals during the elections.

By Willy Chwoo