Uganda: Update to UGA105482 of 17 May 2016 on requirements and procedures for obtaining police reports, such as criminal complaints, from within the country as well as from abroad; fees; format, including appearance, signatures and letterhead; whether there is a standard format across the country (April 2016-June 2016)
This Response to Information Request is an update to UGA105482.E of 17 May 2016 in order to incorporate new information provided by the consulate of Canada in Kampala and the Uganda Police Force.
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official with the Canadian consulate in Kampala stated that in order to obtain a police report, the complainant must visit a police station where "the complaint is registered, the officer asks leading questions [and the complainant's] answers are written in a statement …An administration fee of shs [UGX] 63,000 [approximately C$24] is paid if the complainant requests a copy of the statement" (Canada 26 May 2016).
In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate through an official of the Canadian consulate in Kampala, the Directorate of Interpol and International Relations of the Uganda Police Force provided the following information regarding police reports:
[The criminal police report] is issued to any applicant who has an interest in the criminal matter/case under investigation or whose investigations have been concluded. This is usually issued by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
In this instance, a criminal offence must have been reported to any Police Unit and investigations into that offence conducted. The report usually contains the findings arising out of the investigations and if concluded through court the report will as well reflect the final outcome from court (Uganda 7 June 2016).
The same source stated that, at present, the Uganda Police Force did not use a standard format for issuing police reports (ibid.).
According to the Directorate of Interpol and International Relations of the Uganda Police Force, obtaining a copy of a police report through a representative "is possible[,] especially in case one is a legal representative of the applicant e.g. a lawyer or someone else with powers of [a]ttorney" (ibid.).
For further information on police reports in Uganda, refer to Response UGA105482.E.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Canada. 26 May 2016. Consulate of Canada to Uganda in Kampala. Correspondence from an official to the Research Directorate
Uganda. 7 June 2016. Directorate of Interpol and International Relations, Uganda Police Force. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate through the Consulate of Canada in Kampala.