Suspected serial killer re-arrested moments after court released him on bail
What you need to know:
- He was arrested at the High Court by detectives attached to Flying Squad Unit.
- The Chief Justice Bart Katureebe has on a number of occasions decried the act of police re-arresting suspects who have been acquitted or granted bail by court within court premises.
Police have re-arrested a suspected serial killer who has been on remand for about 12 years moments after the High Court in Kampala released him on bail.
Baker Walusimbi was on Wednesday arrested at the High Court by detectives attached to Flying Squad Unit.
Walusimbi was arrested in 2006 on charges of kidnapping, raping and murdering university girls whose bodies he would allegedly dump in bushes and thickets in and around Kampala city.
He had been released on a Shs20 million non-cash bail by Justice Yasin Nyanzi who said that it would be unfair to continue keeping him on remand after spending so much time in prison without a conviction.
His sureties were each bonded at Shs50 million not cash.
Walusimbi's trial stalled for over ten years because the appointed court assessors who had been assigned to follow his trial on behalf of the public disappeared.
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Justice Nyanzi then ordered that Walusimbi be released on bail as he awaits to be retried.
However after fulfilling his bail terms on Wednesday, High Court registrar in -charge of criminal matters Mary Ikit officially released Walusimbi on bail but as soon he got out of the court gate, security operatives pounced on him and attempted to force him into a private saloon car.
The operatives were, however, overpowered by Walusimbi's sisters who grabbed him and forced their way back into court premises. Police officers later brought their patrol vehicle and picked him.
Walusimbi was driven to Kampala Central Police Station but we could ascertain the new charges.
Our efforts to get police explanation why he had been re-arrested yielded no results as our calls to the force’s spokesperson, Mr Emilian Kayima’s known telephone number went unanswered by the time of filing this story.
The Chief Justice Bart Katureebe has on a number of occasions decried the act of police re-arresting suspects who have been acquitted or granted bail within court premises.
The CJ’s argument is that the act undermines the sanctity of the Judiciary.