Kirumira murder suspects accuse state agents of coercion
Abubakar Kalungi and Hamza Mwebe in the dock at the High Court on December 6, 2022 for the hearing of prosecution evidence in a case in which they are accused of the brutal murder of the outspoken ASP Kirumira and Nalinya. PHOTO/ JULIET KIGONGO
What you need to know:
- Abubakar Kalungi and Hamza Mwebe appeared at the High Court on Tuesday for the hearing of prosecution evidence in a case in which they are accused of the brutal murder of the outspoken ASP Kirumira and Nalinya.
Two people suspected of killing former Buyende District Police Commander, Muhammad Kirumira and his friend, Resty Nalinya have accused state agents of coercing them to confess that they committed the offence.
Abubakar Kalungi and Hamza Mwebe appeared at the High Court on Tuesday for the hearing of prosecution evidence in a case in which they are accused of the brutal murder of the outspoken ASP Kirumira and Nalinya.
The suspects’ accusations came up when one of the state witnesses, Steven Walimba, a former assistant inspector of police attached to Jinja Road Police Station presented a charge and caution statement of Kalungi as evidence in court.
Walimba told court that he recorded Kalungi’s statement at Kireka and witnessed him sign it before handing him over to the officers for detention.
But the suspects through their lawyer Mr Zimbe Zefania objected to the tendering in of the statement contending that Kalungi was forced by officers to confess that he committed the offence and to sign on the statement.
“The accused person was threatened to be killed and he was under duress to sign the statement at Mubya and not Kireka like the witness has stated,” Mr Zimbe submitted before asking the court to reject the statement.
However, state prosecutor Mr Joseph Kyomuhendo asked for a trial within a trial to be conducted in order to ascertain whether the confession should be admitted or not.
Deceased: Former Buyende police commander, Mohammad Kirumira. PHOTO/ FILE
In her ruling, Justice Margret Mutonyi declined to withdraw Karungi's statement reasoning that defense lawyers are at liberty to cross examine the witness (Walimba) to ascertain the truth.
Walimba is the seventh state witness in the case. He told court that while extracting the charge and caution statement, Kalungi confessed to him that he led the investigators to the home of one of the ADF suspects Abdul Kateregga at Namungoona- Luyinja whom he implicated as being one of the master minders of Kirumira and Nalinya’s murder.
According to the evidence so far presented in court, Kateregga was in October last year “accidently” shot dead by the security operatives who were trailing him as he allegedly attempted to evade arrest at Namungoona in Rubaga Division, Kampala.
Some of the witnesses who have so far testified include Abdul Kigongo, a driver from Bulenga who told court that he had just greeted ASP Kirumira who was driving in his car with Nalinya before he saw four men riding on two motorcycles emerged and started shooting at them (Kirumira and Nalinya).
However, Kigongo failed to identify the shooters when asked in court citing that they were wearing hoods that covered their faces.
Prosecution presented forensic pathologists Dr Moses Byaruhanga and Dr William Mutumba’s reports that confirmed that the duo died of gunshot wounds on on September 8, 2018. Other witnesses include police officers and an LC1 chairperson of Kyasanku village in Mpigi District.
The trial judge adjourned the matter to today for further hearing of the prosecution witnesses.
Prosecution states that on September 8, 2018 at about 8pm in Bulenga, Wakiso District, Kalungi and Mwebe and others still at large with malice aforethought used a gun to murder ASP Kirumira and Nalinya who were driving in a Saloon car belonging to Kirumira. Kirumira and Nalinya were then rushed to Rubaga and Mulago hospitals respectively from where they were pronounced dead.
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