High Court to dispose of 80 cases under plea bargain

A man from Otuke has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by the High Court sitting in Lira after he pleaded guilty to defiling an 18 month old baby.

This was during plea bargain session which is trying over 81 cases.

Sam Okwir agreed with prosecution to serve the 18 years sentence during plea bargain mediation.

The High Court sitting in Lira has come up with cause list of over 80 cases to be tried under plea bargain.

During this session, the High Court is expected to dispose of 37 cases of aggravated defilement, 10 cases of rape, 6 of aggravated robbery and 19 cases of murder.

In the case of Sam Okwir, resident of Akaiodebe, Otuke district, prosecution avers that on July 3, 2015 he defiled an 18 month child. He pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the brief facts of the matter.

In the brief facts, prosecution said the accused picked the child and went with her to his house and defiled her.

When the mother was bathing her, she would not allow her touch her private parts which forced her to check and find injury.

Okwir was arrested and pleaded guilty to defiling the child.

When asked if he understood the brief fact, he responded to the affirmative and was convicted accordingly.

Prosecution said they agreed during mediation that the accused serve 18 years imprisonment. His defence lawyer also confirmed this, saying she explained this to the accused.

The judge said this was a very unfortunate case but the sentence is fair in the circumstance and sentenced him to 18 years.

The Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine during the launch of the program in Uganda in September 2014 said that plea bargain sessions are intended to enable the accused and the prosecution, in consultation with the victim, reach an amicable agreement on an appropriate punishment as they facilitate the reduction in case backlog and prison congestion.

In the same court, Atyam Bernard of Kole pleaded guilty to raping his sister in law (wife of his brother) and was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.

Alex Angii of Aculawic, Dokolo district was sentenced to 14 years for defiling a 12 year old girl on January 1, 2016. The accused agreed to serve 14 years.

Omuku Samwiri Dickens charged with the murder of Innocent Odongo on October 11, 2016 pleaded guilty to the offence.

He agreed during mediation to serve 14 years. The judge after asking if the convict understood the plea bargain also passed the same sentence of 14 years to him.