Two Egyptians admit to murder of colleague, handed 22-year jail terms
The four accused persons were Mohamed Nabil Mohamed Ali Shokr, Fahim Abdlhalim Abbas Badawy, Mohamed Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud, also known as Shank, and Mahamood Ahmed, all Egyptian nationals.
From right: Mahamood Ahmed, who was granted bail, stands next to Mohamed Mohamoud Ahmed Mohmoud, alias "Shank," who was discharged, alongside convicts Fahim and Nabil, who are serving 22-year prison sentences. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)
_______________ Nabil (raising his hand) and Fahim, who were sentenced to 22 years' imprisonment for the 2024 murder of Mahmoud Ahmed Zinhom Ibrahim Selim in Soroti City. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)
SOROTI – The High Court in Soroti has convicted two Egyptian nationals of the murder of fellow Egyptian businessman Mahmoud Ahmed Zinhom Ibrahim Selim, sentencing each to 22 years in prison in proceedings that concluded within about an hour.
The four accused persons were Mohamed Nabil Mohamed Ali Shokr, Fahim Abdlhalim Abbas Badawy, Mohamed Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud, also known as Shank, and Mahamood Ahmed, all Egyptian nationals.
They had initially been charged with murder, accused of unlawfully causing the death of Selim with malice aforethought on February 23, 2024. The deceased had been residing in Cell A1, Camp Swahili ward, Soroti city.
The suspects, who had been on remand since March 2024, appeared on Monday (August 3) before High Court judge Boniface Wamala for plea-taking.
In an unexpected turn of events, Mohamed Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud, alias Shank, entered a plea of guilty. The prosecution subsequently reduced his charge from murder to being an accessory after the fact of murder, which he admitted.
Justice Wamala agreed and ordered his immediate release, effectively setting him free after taking into account the period he had spent on remand.
Shortly afterwards, Nabil and Fahim also changed their pleas from not guilty to guilty.
However, Mahamood Ahmed maintained his plea of not guilty. Prosecutors allege that his motor vehicle was used to transport the deceased's body to Awoja Swamp, where it was allegedly dumped after the killing.
According to Nabil's charge and caution statement, an argument broke out before Fahim intervened and struck the deceased on the forehead with an iron bar, causing fatal injuries. Fahim admitted to the account before the court.
The postmortem report indicated that the cause of Zinhom's death was haemorrhagic shock following severed neck blood vessels.
State attorney Doreen Adero had urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence of 25 years, arguing that the offence was premeditated, committed with extreme violence and deprived the deceased's two-year-old child of a father's care and support.
She further submitted that such crimes tarnish Uganda's image and discourage foreign investment by creating fear among investors.
Defence lawyer Francis Ajum pleaded for a lighter sentence of 16 years, saying the convicts were first-time offenders and had accepted responsibility by pleading guilty.
In his sentencing, Justice Wamala described the offence as grave and violent, noting that the convicts had also attempted to conceal the crime by interfering with the crime scene and disposing of the body.
The judge agreed with the prosecution that there was a need to protect foreign investors conducting lawful business in Uganda, saying the sentence should reflect the seriousness of the offence.
After deducting the two years and four months already spent on remand, the court ordered that the two convicts serve the remaining 19 years, seven months and two days, effective August 3, 2026.
Meanwhile, Mahamood Ahmed, who maintained his plea of not guilty, was granted bail until August 17, 2026, when the prosecution is expected to present its evidence against him.