Gen Gutti summoned in Ondoga trial

Kampala.
The General Court Martial has summoned Lt Gen Andrew Gutti to give evidence in the ongoing trial of former commander of the Ugandan peace keeping force in Mogadishu, Brig Michael Ondoga.

Lt Gen Gutti, the current commandant of the UPDF Senior Staff and Command College Kimaka in Jinja District, was summoned on Thursday jointly with Lt Col Moses Mwesigwa to testify in the military court in Makindye, Kampala.

The two officers will appear in the court on February 12. The summons followed an application by the State prosecutor to call the duo to boost the evidence against the suspects.

Brig Ondoga is charged with failing to brief his superiors while in the African Union offensive operations against the al-Shabaab Islamic militants in Somalia. He has been on remand since October 21, 2013, when he was first arraigned in the military court.

His defence lawyer, Mr Frank Kanduho, complained that the State was delaying his client’s trial.
He asked court to compel the prosecution to provide him with the witness statements to enable him prepare for Brig Ondoga’s defence.

other charges
Brig Ondoga is also accused of diverting 15,000 litres of fuel hence jeopardising the operational efficiency of the Ugandan troops in Somalia. Prosecution states that between 2012 and 2013, Ondoga was aware of an impending operation which required 1,500 troops, but he committed only 1,000 which resulted in loss of life. He is also accused of failing to issue formal operational orders which led to loss of a battle tank.

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