Gov't appeals Brig. Ondoga acquittal

By Michael Odeng

BRIGADIER Michael Ondoga’s freedom may be cut short and his deployment delayed after government filed a notice of appeal against the ruling of the General Court Martial.

Ondoga, the former commander of the Ugandan troop contingent serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was last month set free after all the charges against him were dismissed.

Prosecution lead by Maj. Fredrick Kangwamu had alleged that Ondoga on September 6, 2012 launched an operation from Afgooye to Baidoa in Somalia without operational orders and committed 1,000 troops instead of 1,500. Kangwamu added that this led to the loss of soldiers in Somalia.

It also said Ondoga failed to provide food and water, failed to stop irregular transfer of soldiers, diverted fuel, failed to execute lawful orders to distribute tinned food equally among battle groups.

However, the court chairman, Maj. Gen. Levi Karuhanga, dismissed the charges on grounds that prosecution evidence was riddled with inconsistencies and that there was no evidence pinning Ondoga to all the charges brought against him.

“The source of troop deployment was a falsehood due to contradictions in prosecution witness testimonies. This leaves court speculating on whose version to rely on and raises doubt,” Karuhanga earlier on stated.

The notice of appeal lodged by the state may affect Brig. Ondoga’s re-deployment. It is reported that Ondoga was due for deployment as a military attaché to Nairobi before the case started in September 2013. Brig. Ondoga was supposed to handover to Brig. Dick Olum, who is now the contingent commander in Somalia.

The same court also acquitted Ondoga of 13 counts of spreading false propaganda against his junior during military operations in Somalia after prosecution led by Maj. Kangwamu, submitted that the State had lost interest in the trial.

Prosecution says that Ondoga, a person subject to military law on Oct 3, 2013 while at Mbuya in Uganda before the CDF made false accusations against juniors to Gen. Katumba Wamala.