Police ready to reinstate Baguma

Mr Aaron Baguma, the interdicted former Kampala Central Police Division Police Commander could soon return to active service after the

DPP drops murder charges against interdicted Baguma

Mr Baguma has been battling charges of having a hand in the murder of businesswoman Betty Donah Katusabe

against him. 

Mr Baguma was interdicted in 2016 for his alleged involvement in the murder of businesswoman, Donah Katusabe at Pine Car bond in Kampala.

Mr Baguma was jointly charged with eight others, including Mr Muhammed Ssebuwufu, the proprietor of Pine Car Bond, where the deceased was beaten to death.

Police spokesperson, Mr Emilian Kayima, says Mr Baguma is a free man since the DPP dropped charges against him.

 "When the DPP dropped charges against the officer, he set him totally free. When you are set free, you are a free man and so is the officer [Baguma]," Mr Kayima said.

He said: “He [Baguma] will use that record to write to the IGP notifying him of the same and the process of redeployment will start."

 According to the Public Service standing orders, once a government employee is cleared of criminal charges or they are dropped, he is supposed to write to the Public Service Commission and be reinstated.

Mr Baguma is also supposed to receive a refund of all his salary that was deducted during his interdiction.

 "A public officer interdicted shall receive such salary not being less than half of his/her basic salary,  subject to a refund of the other half,  in case the Interdiction is lifted and the charges dropped," the Standing Order reads in part.

Last week, Justice Mike Chibita, the Director of Public Prosecution dropped the murder charges against Mr Baguma.

Through his representative, Mr Alex Ojok, a principal state attorney, the DPP said he is discontinuing the murder charges against Baguma.

"My Lord, I have instructions from the DPP to discontinue charges against A8 (Baguma). We have a nolle prosequi signed on December 21 by the DPP," Mr Ojok told court

"Article 108 of the Constitution gives the DPP powers to discontinue criminal charges at any stage," he said.

A nolle prosequie is a legal term to mean “unwilling to pursue" or it's a phrase to mean "do not prosecute".

No reasons were given for the discontinuation of the charges since the Constitution gives the DPP liberty not to disclose the reasons why.

 Read:

Victim’s family meets DPP over Baguma release

A family lawyer says they had reservations about the decision to drop the charges against Baguma yet there was incriminating evidence linking him to homicide