Witchdoctors arrested over death threats

PIC: Suspects Pascal Ssekimpi (left) and Ramathan Kibuyaga were arrested. (Credit: Henry Nsubuga)

CRIME

CENTRAL REGION - The police in Mukono district are holding two witchdoctors who allegedly threatened to kill a businessman if he did not given them money.

The Police Standards Unit spokesman, Vincent Ssekate identified one of the suspects as Pascal Ssekimpi, 27, a resident of Gayaza in Wakiso district.

The other was named as Ramathan Kibuyaga, 30, a resident of Namataba village in Naggojje sub-county, Mukono district.

Ssekate told New Vision that the witchdoctors reportedly called Asuman Wandera and threatened him, saying they were hired to kill him.

"They asked him to pay them some amount of money for them not to kill him as per the request by the person who had hired them. Wandera reported a case against them and police started tracking them," said the police spokesman.

Police arrested the suspects as they had asked Wandera to meet them and agree on a certain amount of money to be paid to them.

Ssekate said that the two are now charged with extortion and conspiracy to commit a felony. Basing on the current murders around the country, po​lice cannot take the witchdoctor's threats for granted, he added.

"We have forwarded their case file to the resident state attorney to peruse through and advise on the charges preferred to them before they are prosecuted."

In a dramatic twist, after their arrest, the suspects claimed the threats were not real and that they had just faked it in order to get money from Wandera.

One of the them, Kibuyaga, told police that his colleague Ssekimpi is the one that had asked him to call Wandera and threaten him in the promise a huge pay if the deal yielded fruits.

On his part, Ssekate asked Ugandans to immediately report to police such cases.

"One should not just keep quiet after getting such threatening calls. Report to police and we have the culprits arrested and charged before the situation worsens."