Kipoi freshly charged with treason at army court

Mar 19, 2018

Yesterday, Kipoi, 38, was produced before GCM, chaired by Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti and charged with one count of offences relating to security (treachery) contrary to section 130(i) the UPDF Act, 2005.

PIC: Former MP Kipoi Nsubuga (right) appearing before the General Court Martial at Makindye on charges of treason on March 19 . (Credit: Meddie Musisi)

CRIME

KAMPALA - As the embattled former Bubulo West MP Tonny Nsubuga Kipoi is still battling charges of attempting to kidnap 22 people before Nakawa Court, he has been freshly charged with treason at the General Court Martial (GCM).

Yesterday, Kipoi, 38, was produced before GCM, chaired by Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti and charged with one count of offences relating to security (treachery) contrary to section 130(i) the UPDF Act, 2005.

The offence of treason attracts a maximum penalty of death, while concealment of treason attracts life imprisonment on conviction.
  
Kipoi was charged alongside Sgt.Yunus Lemeriga, Cpl Rogers Mweru, Sgt Adams Mawa, Sgt Albino Okeng and Pte Dodola Ijosiga, all soldiers attached to the armoured brigade in Masaka district.

Clad in a checked stripped shirt, Kipoi appeared composed as the charges were being read out to him by Gutti. They all denied the charges.

Although, the self-representing Kipoi argued that he was not an army officer to be tried at GCM, Gutti overruled him, saying he was only supposed to listen to charge and plead to it.

Last week, the GCM issued a production warrant to the prison authorities to present Kipoi to take plea on charges of treason.

Meanwhile, lawyer rtd Maj. Ronald Iduuli pleaded with court to maintain Kipoi's co-accused's bail, which they secured in 2013, saying they have never skipped court.

But Gutti instead remanded them to the Makindye military quarter guard until April 24, when the court is slated to begin hearing their case.

Yesterday, the army prosecutor, Maj. Rapheal Mugisha, requested court to set the hearing dates for the case, saying investigations were complete.

Kipoi was remanded to Luzira prisons, where he has been for about two weeks over attempted kidnap.

Gutti also ordered Mugisha to avail to defence lawyers with the necessary documents they intend to rely on to pin the accused.

Prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large between November 2012 and December 2013 in diverse places of Kampala, Wakiso, Nakasongola, Fort Portal, Ntoroko and Masaka convened meetings to recruit soldiers to jeopardise the security of the country.

A bout a month ago, Kipoi was deported back to Uganda on request and negotiations between Botswana government and the External Security Organisation (ESO).

On December 31, 2012, Kipoi, was charged with two counts of treason and concealment of treason at Nakawa Chief Magistrate's court.

He is alleged to have been recruiting people in both Uganda and DR Congo to overthrow the Government. He is also alleged to have been a financer for the Allied Democratic Front (ADF) rebel group.

In 2014, their treason case file was forwarded to the GCM by the Director of Public Prosecution.

But this was after the MP had fled the country in 2013, after being released on a cash bail of sh10m by Justice Lameck Mukasa.

 The judge had ordered him not to move out of Uganda without written permission from the deputy registrar, criminal division of the High Court.

 He had also been ordered to deposit in court his Uganda and South African passports and a certificate of title for land at block 378, plot 407 Katale Busiro Wakiso district.

 The judge had equally directed him to report once every two weeks to the commander special investigations unit, Kireka and granted the MP bail on grounds of ill-health.

 Following his escape in 2014, Kipoi was arrested in February, this year in Botswana on accusations of going around masquerading as a witch doctor and defrauding four female victims of more than 290,000 Pula, about (sh111.6m), between May 2017 and January 20.

Also In 2014, parliament fired him for missing 15 sittings without informing the speaker.
 

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