KENYA: An Irish priest was allegedly assaulted by a senior police officer in Kenya following an anti-corruption demonstration targeting the vice-president.
Local campaigners condemned the arrest of Father Gabriel Dolan, an outspoken human rights activist, and called for disciplinary action against a named police officer.
An assistant government minister ordered yesterday afternoon that the charges against Father Dolan, who comes from Co Fermanagh, be dropped.
Father Dolan led a small group of protesters waiting for Vice-President Moody Awori to visit the prison in Kitale, a northern town, on Thursday evening. They wanted to present Mr Awori with a petition detailing the theft in recent years of more than 3,000 acres from the prison grounds by corrupt officials.
"Land grabbing" was a common occurrence under President Daniel arap Moi, whose 24-year rule ended last December with the election of Mr Mwai Kibaki.
Before Mr Awori's car could pass, about 30 policemen surrounded the banner-wielding protesters and charged four of them with obstructing police work. Father Dolan's vehicle was impounded. A local TV crew filmed the arrest.
Father Dolan was brought to Kitale police station, where he says Commanding Officer Isaac Kasembeli repeatedly punched him in front of several witnesses.
Speaking by phone yesterday, he said: "I was led to the cells. He told me in Kiswahili: 'Nobody will see you now, I will hit you some more'."
The priest was released six hours later and the charges were dropped yesterday. Describing his injuries as "a few bruises", he said he that he suspected local officials of having colluded to quell the peaceful protest.
Mr Alan Brouder, of Trocaire, which supports Father Dolan's work in Kenya, said the incident showed that the culture of impunity which marked the Moi era had not disappeared.
Nairobi police sparked outrage earlier this week when a reservist shot a homeless boy in the head, blinding him, and then had the boy charged with aggravated robbery.
However, Mr Brouder said that Mr Kibaki's government had made progress through commissions set up to investigate corrupt judges, financial scandals and previously unexplained murders, such as that of American priest Father John Kaiser.