Police officers fail to bail out jailed colleagues
Accused. Senior Superintendent of Police Nixon Agasirwe and other accused police officers at the General Court Martial in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Denied bail . Military court declined to release the police officers on bail on account that the prosecution needed to respond to their application.
- The accused police officers are jointly charged with a Rwandan national Rene Rutagungira and Bahati Mugenga Pacifique also known as Ilungu Monga, a Congolese national in regard to two offences of kidnap which they deny.
KAMPALA. Senior police officers yesterday offered to stand surety for their colleague to be released on bail but the military court sent the accused on further remand pending conclusion of the hearing of their application for bail.
They are charged with kidnapping former bodyguard of Rwandan President Paul Kagame in 2013, who was dubiously extradited back home and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The accused police officers include former commandant of Police Professional Standard Unit Joel Aguma, Senior Superintendent of Police Nixon Agasirwe, Assistant Superintendent of Police James Magada (Crime Intelligence), Sgt Abel Tumukunde (under the Flying Squad), SPC Faisal Katende (Flying Squad), AIP Benon Atwebembeirwe and D/Cpl Amon Kwarisima is attached to crime intelligence.
The accused officers presented fellow police officers and civilian individuals to stand surety for them.
Their lawyers asked the General Court Martial at Makindye to release them on bail pending trial. They submitted that they would attend court as and when required.
They presented, as their sureties, Commissioner of Police Fortunate Abyala, Senior Superintendent of Police in-Charge of Operations for the Field Force Unit Andrew Kaggwam, retired Commissioner of Police Laban Muhabwe and Director of Crime Intelligence Ndahura Atwoki.
Other sureties included Crime Intelligence officers: Detective Assistant Inspector Bosco Tumwebaze, Assistant Superintendent of Police Betty Aloyo, Detective Inspector of Police Joseph Lyada, Detective Inspector of Police Draniku Eria Maxwell and Detective Assistant Inspector of Police Moses Muwanguzi.
The suspects’ lawyers argued that the offences against them are bailable and invited court to consider the circumstances under which they were arrested.
Earlier the army prosecutor, Maj Raphael Mugisha, had told the military court that investigations into the case were still ongoing but in advanced stage.
However, the military court declined to release the police officers on bail on account that the prosecution needed to respond to their application.
The chairman of the military court, Lt Gen Andrew Gutti, further remanded them and set December 12, 18 and 19 for the prosecution to respond to their bail application.
He will thereafter make a ruling to release or send them back on remand.
The accused police officers are jointly charged with a Rwandan national Rene Rutagungira and Bahati Mugenga Pacifique also known as Ilungu Monga, a Congolese national in regard to two offences of kidnap which they deny.
