Finnish national death case takes new twist

Suspects in the case of manslaughter of the Finnish national at Buganda road court. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • The accused persons are; Faridah Nagayi - a receptionist in Qatar, Fatuma Kabagambe - a house wife, Nassifu - a driver, Caroline Alinda - a businesswoman, and Appolo Kyabagye – a senior intelligence officer with Internal Security Organization.
  • Prosecution further states that Alinda and Kyabagye on February 2, in Kampala, forged an invitation letter dated February 2, 2018 purporting that the alleged document was signed by Col Frank Bagyenda Kaka the head of ISO.
  • Without saying who gave them the video, Lt Col Aliganyira told journalists that the footage handed to them has both CCTV and High Definition resolution footages.
  • Lt Col Aliganyira did not say how far they have gone with the investigations and whether the two Europeans were killed by drugs like police had earlier said. He insisted that ISO will release its independent report.
  • Police also claimed in February that a CCTV footage had been recovered from the hotel showing Nagayi, who is alleged to have been the girlfriend of the deceased, entering his room.

The trial in which five people are accused of causing the death of a Finnish national has taken a new twist after the state asked for extra time to allow police carry out fresh investigations.
The accused persons are; Faridah Nagayi - a receptionist in Qatar, Fatuma Kabagambe - a house wife, Nassifu - a driver, Caroline Alinda - a businesswoman, and Appolo Kyabagye – a senior intelligence officer with Internal Security Organization.

In a session presided over by magistrate, Samuel Kagoda, the case had come up for hearing but the prosecutor, Ms Viola Tusigwiire told court that she had been notified that police had received fresh information concerning the death of Terasvuori Tuomas Juha Petteri, 42, so they needed to review the earlier set.
“Your worship, the matter is coming up for hearing. However, I have received information that police has got new information and that they need to scrutinize it before we can proceed. Therefore, I pray for another date,” Ms Tusigwiire submitted.
Ms Tusigwiire had on April 10, informed court that inquiries are complete and that state was to handle the matter expeditiously.

The defence lawyer, Mr Muhammad Mbabazi, in reply, did not object to the state application.
This prompted Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate, Kagoda, who was sitting in for the trial chief magistrate, James Ereemye to adjourn the matter to May 25 for mention.

The accused are charged with four counts ranging from manslaughter, trafficking in narcotic drugs, forgery of an invitation document and conspiracy to commit the offence, which offences they denied.
On the counts of manslaughter and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, prosecution contends that Nagayi, Kabagambe and Walusimbi, on February 6, at Pearl of Africa Hotel in Kampala, unlawfully caused the death of Petteri, a Finland national, when they allegedly delivered narcotic drugs to him a day before.

Prosecution further states that Alinda and Kyabagye on February 2, in Kampala, forged an invitation letter dated February 2, 2018 purporting that the alleged document was signed by Col Frank Bagyenda Kaka the head of ISO.
The duo is facing the count of conspiracy to forge the document in question alongside Nagayi.

The charges against the five come at the time when Col Kaka has dismissed as “trash” allegations that Patteri, one of the two European men who died in two Kampala hotels, had come to Uganda on his invitation.

In February, during a press conference, ISO said the footage that is currently in the hands of security and intelligence agencies on the death of Petteri was manipulated.

The ISO Director of Political Affairs Lt Col Joseph Aliganyira told journalists at the ISO headquarters in Kampala that there are video clips that were inserted into the hotel CCTV footage.
“It was manipulated. There were a lot of insertions, trying to create someone who looked like him [the deceased Finnish]. One has a bald head but the other doesn’t .We are still investigating why the footage was manipulated and we shall eventually release a final report,” he said.

Without saying who gave them the video, Lt Col Aliganyira told journalists that the footage handed to them has both CCTV and High Definition resolution footages.

Lt Col Aliganyira did not say how far they have gone with the investigations and whether the two Europeans were killed by drugs like police had earlier said. He insisted that ISO will release its independent report.

Police also claimed in February that a CCTV footage had been recovered from the hotel showing Nagayi, who is alleged to have been the girlfriend of the deceased, entering his room.

At the beginning of this month, court granted four of the suspects cash bail of Shs10million. However, two of the accused, Kabagambe and Walusimbi, failed to raise the bail sum to secure their temporary freedom.