Security chief testifies on Mbale killings
Apr 30, 2007
THE head of the vice- president’s security, Capt. Napoleon Namanya, on Saturday testified how he recovered the gun he claimed was used by one of the Presidential Guard Brigade soldiers to kill three people in Mbale.
By Vision Reporter
THE head of the vice- president’s security, Capt. Napoleon Namanya, on Saturday testified how he recovered the gun he claimed was used by one of the Presidential Guard Brigade soldiers to kill three people in Mbale.
Namanya told the UPDF 3rd Division court martial that he recovered the AK-47 rifle near the fence of Mt. Elgon Hotel.
He said the suspect, Pte. Zephar Muhumuza, led him to where he had hidden the gun. “He guided me and recovered the gun near the fence. He then told me to return to the same place and recover the porch, which I did,†Namanya told the court presided over by Col. Moses Ddiba Sentongo.
He explained that the gun had 19 live ammunitions. Namanya said he arrested Muhumuza from Butaleja, where the vice president was on a tour.
This was after learning from one of the soldiers in the convoy that the suspect was responsible for the murders in Mbale.
He revealed that Muhumuza had told the soldier that he killed the three people. Namanya also said at an earlier inspection parade he had suspected Muhumuza because he appeared fatigued and was wearing dirty shoes.
He noted that Muhumuza raised more suspicion when it was discovered that the gun he was carrying at the parade did not have the ordinary number of bullets allocated to each soldier.
“When asked, he claimed that he was from the group that was given fewer bullets,†Namanya said.
He told court that the suspect confessed to have committed the offence after a woman he had given money refused to have sex with him.
On April 6, two people were gunned down at Nandutu Lodge on Naboa Road in Mbale.
The third victim, a private security guard, was shot dead along the Cathedral Avenue when he demanded to know why the suspect was running away from the direction of the gunshots.
THE head of the vice- president’s security, Capt. Napoleon Namanya, on Saturday testified how he recovered the gun he claimed was used by one of the Presidential Guard Brigade soldiers to kill three people in Mbale.
Namanya told the UPDF 3rd Division court martial that he recovered the AK-47 rifle near the fence of Mt. Elgon Hotel.
He said the suspect, Pte. Zephar Muhumuza, led him to where he had hidden the gun. “He guided me and recovered the gun near the fence. He then told me to return to the same place and recover the porch, which I did,†Namanya told the court presided over by Col. Moses Ddiba Sentongo.
He explained that the gun had 19 live ammunitions. Namanya said he arrested Muhumuza from Butaleja, where the vice president was on a tour.
This was after learning from one of the soldiers in the convoy that the suspect was responsible for the murders in Mbale.
He revealed that Muhumuza had told the soldier that he killed the three people. Namanya also said at an earlier inspection parade he had suspected Muhumuza because he appeared fatigued and was wearing dirty shoes.
He noted that Muhumuza raised more suspicion when it was discovered that the gun he was carrying at the parade did not have the ordinary number of bullets allocated to each soldier.
“When asked, he claimed that he was from the group that was given fewer bullets,†Namanya said.
He told court that the suspect confessed to have committed the offence after a woman he had given money refused to have sex with him.
On April 6, two people were gunned down at Nandutu Lodge on Naboa Road in Mbale.
The third victim, a private security guard, was shot dead along the Cathedral Avenue when he demanded to know why the suspect was running away from the direction of the gunshots.