Court to determine whether Uncle Money has case to answer over lynching of suspect

Accused. Jackson Ssewanyana alias Uncle Money. FILE PHOTO. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Prosecution contends that on August 16, 2019, Tumusiime, who was a phone dealer at Mutaasa Kafeero plaza in Kampala city received a phone call from unknown persons that made him leave his house in Lubya zone.

Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has set February 06, 2020 as a day to decide on whether Mr Jackson Ssewanyana aka Uncle Money the vice chairman of Kasubi Zone IV, a Kampala suburb, has a case to answer over charges of taking part in the lynching a suspected phone thief who was killed by mob.

In a session presided over by the magistrate Marion Mangeni, she set the date upon the state closing its line of witnesses.

Uncle Money is facing charges alongside one Benson Senyonga a defence secretary in the same zone in connection to spearheading a mob that lynched Siraje Hakim Tumusiime.

Should court find that the prosecution has failed to make its case against the duo, it will acquit them of the charges. On the contrary, court will ask the suspects to defend themselves before a final judgment can be made.

Last week a boda boda rider pinned Uncle Money on taking part in the lynching of Tumusiime

Mr Peter Wansale, 23, testified that he knows both accused persons so well and at about 8pm on August 15, 2019, he got a customer to take to Munaku Zone IV, in Kasubi where lynching of Tumusiime took place and he saw Uncle Money hitting him with a stick.

This witness explained that he stopped his motorbike and inquired from Uncle Money, whom he knew well, what the knotted man had done and he (Uncle Money) responded that the man is a serial thief.

Mr Wansale said the man tied up, in reply also told him that Uncle Money was lying to him, and that he (Tumusiime) wasn’t a thief.

He asserted that he told them to take the alleged thief to police, however, Uncle Money responded rudely that he should not assigned them what to do.

He added that he left the scene but after two days he overheard people say that the man Uncle Money and colleagues were beating, had died.

Prosecution contends that on August 16, 2019, Tumusiime, who was a phone dealer at Mutaasa Kafeero plaza in Kampala city received a phone call from unknown persons that made him leave his house in Lubya zone.

Hours later, he was seen moving with Uncle Money passing behind Royal Hotel in Munaku Zone IV where Uncle Money is said to have handed him (Tumusiime) over to stick-wielding youths led by the defence secretary Senyonga.