Policeman sentenced to 40 years in jail over murder of businessman
LIRA. High Court in Lira has sentenced a Police Constable to 40 years in prison for killing a businessman in Alebtong District three years ago.
Moses Opio, 45, who was attached to Abako Police Post, in Alebtong District, was found guilty of killing Vincent Opio, a 40-year-old businessman, and Martin Otim a boda boda rider.
The policeman was sentenced alongside his accomplice, Benon Onyolo, 25, by Lira resident judge, Alex Mackey Ajiji, on Wednesday. Onyolo was however sentenced to only 18 years in prison.
Prosecution told court that on January 21, 2016 the convicts waylaid the victim and shot him dead before stealing Shs6 million from him. The money was proceeds of the produce he had sold in Lira town that day.
The businessman had hired the boda-boda to take him home from Abako Trading Centre where he had a produce store.
Investigations in the case found that the gun used in the murder belonged to the police constable. In his defense, Opio claimed his gun had been stolen from his house, but after his arrest, the gun was found hidden in the caves of an anthill.
The Resident State Attorney, Ms Gloria Akello, said the incident was a very painful death. “The victim was an innocent man who was trying his best to earn a decent living by engaging in business to support his family but his life was cut shot.”
She asked the judge to give the accused person very tough sentences because they don’t deserve any mercy.
Defence lawyer Ms Christine Atyang of Atyang & company Advocates said the accused should not be given harsher punishment like death sentence because it would not give them the opportunity to reform.
“I am pleading with this honourable court to be merciful to this police officer because this he is a first time offender. So, I request that he be given lighter sentence so that he can go back and look after his wife and 8 children,” Ms Atyang pleaded with the Judge.
The judge, however, said that the sentence of 40 years and 18 years respectively is to send a clear message to other criminal minded individuals that no one has the right to take away the lives of others.
“The accused persons are very dangerous and pause a security to their community, so they deserve to be in jail for longer time to enable them reform,” Justice Ajiji ruled.
He, however, told them that if the convicts are not contented with the sentence they can appeal within 14 days.
The LC3 chairman of Abako Sub-county, Mr John Odongo, said he was very happy with the court ruling saying justice has been done.
“Mr Onyolo was a very dangerous criminal in the area. Can you imagine that the person they killed is even his relative of Otengoro olang clan! So, keeping him in jail is a big relieve to us because he was even going to be killed by mob,” Mr Odongo told Daily Monitor after the ruling on Wednesday.
