Four convicted for excavating soil from railway line
The charges included; damaging a railway line, theft and conspiracy to steal marram a property of Uganda Railways Corporation (URC). File photo
What you need to know:
Prosecution contended that on July 14, 2019 in Lira District, Police officers at Lira Central Police Station, received information that people were stealing soil from a railway line, the officers proceeded to the scene and arrested the accused persons who were loading the excavated marram on two trucks.
The Standard Utilities and Wildlife Court has fined four men Shs3m each for excavating marram soil valued at Shs500m from a railway line in Lira District.
The quartet; Robert Enyema, Sam Aganya, Moses Ogwang and Okello Jasper during a session presided over by magistrate Marion Mangeni pleaded guilty to three charges.
The charges included; damaging a railway line, theft and conspiracy to steal marram a property of Uganda Railways Corporation (URC).
Court heard from the prosecutor, Ms Miriam Njuki, that the accused opted to enter a plea bargain so that they confess to the charges and be given lenient sentences. The convicts also pledged to restore the excavated soil, since their act left the railway line hanging, putting the lives of its users at risk.
While sentencing the convicts Ms Mangeni said she has had a chance to peruse through the plea bargain agreement the convicts signed with URC and that she concurs with it.
Ms Mangeni added that if the convicts default on the terms of the plea bargain they will serve a year in jail.
Prosecution contended that on July 14, 2019 in Lira District, Police officers at Lira Central Police Station, received information that people were stealing soil from a railway line, the officers proceeded to the scene and arrested the accused persons who were loading the excavated marram on two trucks.
