Agasirwe’s bail request hits snag
Former senior police officer Nixon Agasirwe at the General Court Martial in Kampala last year. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
The army court chairperson adjourns the proceedings without giving a date for the hearing of his bail application.
Former senior police officer Nixon Agasirwe Karuhanga was last evening returned to prison after the army court adjourned without calling his case yet he had appeared to apply for bail.
Mr Agasirwe spent the whole day in the holding cells of the General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala.
He had appeared for the hearing of his application for bail. The court chairperson, Lt Gen Andrew Gutti, however, adjourned the proceedings without giving a date for the hearing of Mr Agasirwe’s bail application.
Mr Agasirwe was jointly charged with other senior police officers for alleged kidnap of Joel Mutabazi, a former bodyguard to Rwanda president Paul Kagame, in 2013. In 2013, Mutabazi was dubiously extradited and sentenced to life imprisonment in Rwanda.
The co-accused are former commandant of Police Professional Standards Unit Joel Aguma, Benon Atwebembeire, Abel Tumukunde and Faisal Katende, both formerly of the Police Flying Squad; and James Magada and Amon Kwarisiima from Crime Intelligence. His co-accused persons have since been released on bail, pending trial.
Other accused persons, Rwandan national Rene Rutagungira and Bahati Mugenga Pacifique, also known as Illunga Monga, a Congolese national, were released after prosecution withdrew charges against them.
The State alleges that on October 25, 2013, at Kamengo in Mpigi District on Masaka Road, the suspects, while in unlawful possession of firearms and grenades, ordinarily a monopoly of defence forces, conveyed Lt Mutabazi without his consent to the government of Rwanda.
Prosecution further alleges that on the same day, the group also conveyed Jackson Karemeera, also known as Ndinga.
Lt Mutabazi, a member of President Kagame’s Republican Guard, was allegedly kidnapped in Kampala by security personnel and handed over to his home government.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
