Police asked for Shs2.5m to release me, says murder suspect

Police officers asked me to pay them Shs 2.5million in order to drop charges against me, a key suspect accused of killing social worker Maria Nagirinya in 2019, has told court.

While defending himself yesterday, Mr Copriam Kasolo, alias Arsenal, 32, a former shoe hawker at Natete in Rubaga Division, said he was framed in the murder of the former Community Integrated Development Initiative employee and her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa.

He told Court that he was arrested from his workplace at Mabito in Nateete at around 8pm where he usually hawked his shoes as security operatives fired bullets and arrested whoever was in the area.

Mr Kasolo said he was then driven to an unknown detention facility from where security operatives asked him to pay Shs2.5 million to secure his release.

“While in detention, a police officer told me that they wanted to work on my issues and release me. He told me they needed some money in order to release me. I thought they wanted the Shs130,000 I had left in my wallet but I was shocked when they asked for Shs2.5 million, which I did not have,” Mr Kasolo said.
“One officer asked me if I had a flat-screen television or fridge at home that could work so that I get released but I told them I did not have any,” he added.

He also told Court that he didn’t know any of his co-accused nor convict Isaac Ssenabulya, alias Kisunsu, who was recently sentenced to 40 years in jail. Ssenabulya confessed that he participated in the kidnap and subsequent murder and was later used as a state witness. 

“I got to know of Ssenabulya at Katwe Police Station where he was among the ‘police officers’ who tortured us to accept the offences. I was surprised to see him in court...You might find him not in jail after the sentence and if he is there he might be waiting for the case to be concluded,” Mr Kasolo told Court.

Prosecution claims that on August 28, 2019, Mr Kasolo and others still at large at Nabisasiro Zone in Rubaga, Kampala and Mukono District kidnapped and murdered Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa.