Nebanda: Kalungi makes U-turn, pleads not guilty
Mr Kalungi atMakindye court on Tuesday. Abubaker Lubowa
The key suspect in the death of Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda has Tuesday made a U-turn and pleaded not guilty of manslaughter, a day after telling court that he was guilty.
On Monday, Mr Adam Suleiman Kalungi pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter during his maiden court appearance at Mkaindye Chief Magistrates Court that was presided over by Ms Ester Nambayo .
“Yes it’s true,” Mr Kalungi said after charges of manslaughter were preferred against him.
But Ms Nambayo did not record his guilty plea since he did not have a lawyer to advise him on the consequences of his pronouncement.
Manslaughter is causing death of another person unintentionally and it attracts a maximum penalty of life sentence once found guilty.
On Tuesday, Mr Kalungi hired three lawyers; Mr Geoffrey Kandebee, Mr Duncan Ondimu and Mr Kania Renato to represent him as opposed to Monday’s proposal by the court to get him a lawyer on state brief.
Mr Kalungi, also pleaded not guilty to the two other charges of being in possession of narcotic drugs and dispensing them between September and December last year contrary to the National Drug Policy and Authority Act.
Mr Ondimu told Daily Monitor that on interacting with him before appearing in court today morning, Mr Kalungi told them that it was confusion that made him plead guilty.
His lawyers informed court that they would not apply for his bail today.
Subsequently, court adjourned the hearing to Tuesday next week when Mr Kalungi and his five co-accused would re-appear in court.
He was further remanded to Luzira Prison till then.
Tha State alleges that Mr Kalungi and his suspected accomplices caused the death of Nebanda. The five who were charged on December 31, are Ms Fatuma Babu, Mr Abid Rashid Butt, Mr Noor Abubakar, Mr Khan Babu Adbul and Mr Ali Omar Almuzahim.
