Bagyenda murder case: Witness says victim's family asked for Shs170m

Mr Anorld Asiimwe, the younger brother to Brian Bagyenda, a man accused of killing his 22-year-old girlfriend, on Friday told court that the deceased’s family asked for Shs170m for a plea bargain.

Plea bargain is any agreement in a criminal case between the prosecutor and defendant whereby the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a particular charge in exchange for a more lenient sentence.

Mr Asiimwe, who has been the second defence witness told court that they had a meeting at the Director of Public Prosecutions’ office together with the family of the deceased to crack a plea bargain deal which failed.

“In the meeting, the family of the deceased asked for Shs170m and we told them we did not have that money. Even then we did not know the concept of the plea bargain, so it failed,” he said.

Mr Asiimwe described his brother as a bubbly one, talkative, attached to his profession and loved his work, however all this changed after he was closed in the house, "he did not want to work anymore or eat."

“When I noticed the changes in his behaviour and was malnourished, I alerted our parents who called him home at the Ssese Island. He was malnourished and they thought he had contracted a severe disease like Aids,” he testified.

Court heard that Bagyenda’s parents accompanied him back to town where they did several medical examinations which showed he was fine, but his behaviours never changed, something that forced them to take him to Butabiika Mental Referral Hospital whose doctors informed them that their son was suffering from depression.

The first defence witness, Dr Brian Mutamba, a psychiatrist from Butabika Hospital said that he assessed and diagnosed Bagyenda with major depressive episode combined with suicidal and anxiety symptoms.

Dr Mutamba further testified that Bagyenda also developed suicidal thoughts that would trigger him to end his own life.

"We admitted him to start on treatment and to be under tight observation because of his suicidal behaviours as well as laboratory investigations and to have him reviewed by clinical psychiatrist," he said.

Court, however, heard that before Bagyenda completed his medication, he left the hospital upon the request of his father, the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) Director General, Col Frank Bagyenda Kaka.

Bagyenda (junior), a pharmacist is jointly charged with Innocent Bainomugisha, 24, a cleaner and Vincent Rwahwire, 28, a casual labourer.

Prosecution states that on January 4, 2016 at Njobe Road in Nakawa division, Kampala District, Bagyenda and his two co-accused murdered Enid Twijukye.

The trial Judge Moses Kazibwe Kaumi adjourned the case to January 20 for further hearing from defence witnesses.

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