Brothers plead for body of Ugandan who died during raid

Dubai: Nearly two weeks after a Ugandan man died during a police raid in Dubai, his brothers are pleading for the release of his body so that they can take him home for burial.

Madilu Ssentongo, 28, also known as Hashim Lwanyaga, died on December 22 after allegedly falling from his third storey apartment in Deira.

Now, Abdul Ssentongo and his 24-year-old brother say that all they want is to return their brother's body back to their family in Uganda.

However, according to Brigadier Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the body will only be released following permission from the Public Prosecution, with no clear time frame in place.

Abdul Ssentongo, a 38-year-old trader who spends several weeks in Dubai every year, says he has been petitioning the police for information about the status of Madilu's body since the incident, but to no avail.

"We have no idea where the body is being held or why it is taking so long. Our family back in Uganda is waiting for us to return him. We do not want to be drawn into an investigation; we just want it to end," Abdul told Gulf News, adding that Dh3,000 had so far been raised by the community to help repatriate the body.

The youngest Ssentongo brother, who declined to give his full name, was released from custody on Tuesday, after being arrested along with twenty others during the December 22 raid and held for overstaying his visa. Sources in the Ugandan community say that in recent months, random raids have been carried out to apprehend those staying in the country illegally.

While confirming that 40 people had been arrested in the last two weeks for being unable to "prove their identities", Brigadier Al Mazeina denied that Ugandans were being targeted.

"Anybody who does not abide by the country's residency or other laws will be chased. We deal with all nationalities, including UAE nationals, in the same way," he said.

However, Esmail Chiko-meko, chairman of the Ugandan community's association in Dubai, said concern is growing among the approximately 600 Ugandans here.

The nearest embassy is located in Riyadh, but officials there were unavailable for comment.