By Charles Ariko

Ramathan Magara, the man accused of killing two people when he fired into a crowd in 2006, signed for the gun from the Police armoury, a State witness has said.

John Mande, the officer in-charge of the Old Kampala Police Station at the time, said Magara signed for an AK47 rifle and 30 bullets.

He added that the gun had not been returned since January 2006.

Mande explained that Magara, an officer at the station at the time, signed for the gun meant to guard Fred Bamwine, who was the Rubaga resident district commissioner then.

Magara is alleged to have murdered Vincent Kavuma and Gideon Makabayi during a rally held by the Forum for Democratic Change in Bulange, Mengo on February 15, 2006.

He is also accused of the attempted murder of Haruna Byamukama on the same day.

Geoffrey Kainamura, another Police officer, told the court that he was part of a team that visited the scene of the crime immediately after they were informed of the incident and found a body which had bullet wounds in the chest.

He said several spent cartridges and rounds of ammunition were recovered.

Kainamura added that when they rushed to Mengo Hospital where another victim had been taken, he had already been pronounced dead.

The victim, he said, had been shot in the head.

Kainamura added that they took the two bodies to Mulago Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Dr. Nsereko Mukasa, a consultant pathologist and Police surgeon, told the court that they examined Magara and found he was normal.