Pine Murder: Ssebuwufu set to discover fate today

City car dealer, Muhammad Ssebuwufu, accused of murdering businesswoman Betty Donah Katusabe, knows his criminal liability this morning.

Ssebuwufu and seven others are accused of murdering the businesswoman over a sh9m debt.

Katusabe was allegedly tortured to death by the accused on October 21, 2015, at Pine Car Depot on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala.

Court records indicate that Katusabe acquired a Toyota Premio registration number UAX 481H from Ssebuwufu at sh17m and remitted sh8m, thereby remaining with a balance of sh9m which is said to have caused her murder.

Ssebuwufu is battling murder, kidnap with intent to murder and aggravated robbery charges together with Paul Tasingika, Shaban Odutu alias Golola, Philip Mirambe, Kayiza Godfrey, Stephen Lwanga, Yoweri Kitayimbwa and Damaseni Ssentongo.

Initially, they were battling the charges together with former Kampala Central Police Station commander, Aaron Baguma, but Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) justice Mike Chibita dropped the charges against him (Baguma) at the commencement of the trial last year without advancing any reason to that effect.

On April 29, court assessors Rehema Babirye, Betty Bogere and Joseph Wasibi advised the judge to acquit all the accused persons on grounds that prosecutors had failed to prove the charges against them beyond a reasonable doubt.

A court assessor is a layperson (not a lawyer) appointed by the court to sit and listen to criminal cases at High Court level and advise a trial judge on whether to convict or acquit an accused person basing on evidence submitted in court by the prosecution.

However, an assessor's opinion is not legally binding on the judge to adopt it.

The prosecution led by Assistant DPP Alex Micheal Ojok produced in court 26 witnesses to pin the accused.

Ssebuwufu contends that although he sold the car to the victim with an outstanding balance, he had already secured it through a cheque and that had no reason to hunt for her.

Co-accused Tasingika says that he was hired by Sam Kiwanuka to pick Katusabe from Bwebajja in the company of police officers over a Toyota Prado.

The charge

The prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large kidnapped Katusabe before beating her to death over a sh9m debt.

They are also accused of robbing the deceased of her cell phone worth sh300, 000.