‘Army lost no chopper’

Dec 17, 2003

ARMY spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza has said the Uganda People’s Defence Forces has never lost any helicopter gunship in combat with Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels,

ARMY spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza has said the Uganda People’s Defence Forces has never lost any helicopter gunship in combat with Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, reports Maurice Okore.

Testifying in a case of publishing false news and information prejudicial to national security against three Monitor journalists, Bantariza said the UPDF last lost a helicopter between 1996 and 1997 in Gulu when it crashed.

Bantariza is the sixth witness to testify against Charles Onyango-Obbo, Wanyama Wangah and Frank Nyakairu over an October 10, 2002 article alleging that the LRA had downed a UPDF helicopter in combat in Atto Hills in Pader district.

The article led to a seven-day closure of the newspaper by the Government.

Asked by defence lawyer Charles Nangwala on the number of helicopters deployed in northern Uganda, Bantariza said he could not disclose the figure because it was classified information.

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