Pine car murder: Suspects deny charges as trial starts
City businessman Muhammed Ssebuwufu walks to the dock at Buganda Road Court in November 2015. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- According to Ms Annet Kobusingye, a lawyer for the deceased’s family, who attended the meeting with the DPP shortly after murder charges against Baguma had been dropped, said the chief government prosecutor said they intended to turn the policeman into a state witness.
KAMPALA.
Kampala car dealer, Mr Muhammed Ssebuwufu and seven others have denied killing businesswoman, Betty Donah Katusabe as their murder trial starts.
All the eight have denied murder charges before justice Flavia Anglin Senoga of the High Court.
"I don't know that murder charge because on the fateful day (October 21, 2015), I was at Mengo court," Mr Ssebuwufu, a prime suspect told court in his plea on Monday.
The suspects also denied the charge of aggravated robbery in which they are accused of stealing Katusabe’s mobile phone valued at Shs300, 000 before using sticks to kill her.
They have also denied the charges of kidnapping the deceased at Bwebajja along Entebbe Road.
The prosecutors led by Alex Ojok from the DPP's office say they have two witnesses to pin the suspects today.
Mr Ojok says they are ready to proceed with the case.
The case file initially had former police commander of Kampala Central Police Station, Mr Aaron Baguma but at the latest court appearance last month, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mike Chibita, dropped the murder charges against him alone.
They are charged with murder, aggravated robbery and kidnap with intent to murder. Katusabe was killed by beating for allegedly failing to clear a Shs9m debt on a car she had bought from Mr Ssebuwufu’s car depot, a stone throw away from Kampala Central Police Station where Baguma was commander at the time.
According to Ms Annet Kobusingye, a lawyer for the deceased’s family, who attended the meeting with the DPP shortly after murder charges against Baguma had been dropped, said the chief government prosecutor said they intended to turn the policeman into a state witness.
On the same day he dropped murder charges against Baguma, the DPP told Daily Monitor that said he had spoken to the family of the deceased and they left having understood why he took that decision.
Mr Baguma had been held criminally liable for failing to protect human life as per his obligation as a police officer when he looked away after the deceased Katusabe pleaded with him to rescue her from her tormentors who killed her a few hours later.
