'These men shot dead my husband'

Feb 22, 2012

A 32-year old woman and her relatives wept in court as she testified against two suspected assailants who allegedly shot dead her husband.

By Pascal Kwesiga and Vivian Agaba       

A 32-year old woman and her relatives wept in court as she testified against two suspected assailants who allegedly shot dead her husband before robbing them.

Palma Akello, a mother of four children started weeping upon seeing the accused persons in the dock when she was called to testify against them before the General Court Martial presided over by Brig. Charles Angina in Kampala on Tuesday.

At some point she failed to control her emotions that the state prosecutors asked court to allow her to testify against Abdul Ssengendo and Ronald Magero while seated. Ssengendo and Magero are residents of Njeru town in Bwike district.

Court proceedings were adjourned briefly for about four times to allow Akello to compose herself as she sobbed uncontrollably after recollecting the manner in which her husband, Charles Eturuket, 42 was gunned down in front of their children during examination by prosecution.

Eturuket was working as an engineer with Nile Breweries in Jinja town.  

Some of her relatives walked out of court weeping as they could not control their emotions during the trial.

Akello told court that Ssengendo shot dead Eturuket as he emerged out of the house to take a bath at around 10pm on January 15, 2011.

She explained that the father of her children died in the door way where he fell after he was shot in the head by Ssengendo using the gun he had concealed in a jacket he was wearing.

Akello said she then crawled to the bedroom as Ssengendo followed her. She said that Ssengendo demanded to be given all the money that was in the house.

Akello explained that she gave sh3m to Ssengendo but he continued to demand for more money as Magero parked the house hold items including two television sets, decoders and mobile phones among others.

She said the accused persons also demanded the car keys from Kevin Aceng, her niece and used her husband's car that was parked outside the house to ferry their properties.
Court heard that the accused persons abandoned the vehicle in Kitagoma village after offloading the stolen properties.

When the photographs of Ssengendo and Magero were published in Bukedde news paper after they had been arrested, Akello said her neighbors and residents recognized them and told her that they had even attended the requiem mass and funeral service of her husband in Katakwi district.

Akello also said that she recorganized a Sony and LG television sets that were recovered at the home of Ssengendo when he was arrested.

She added that was able to identify the suspects at a suspect's parade because she recalled their faces since they killed her husband when the lights at their house were on.

Akello broke down at this point again. Magero interrupted the proceedings when he suggested that court discharges Akello because she would not manage to respond to his questions while weeping.

 

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