Bagyenda opts to remain silent in girlfriend murder case

MURDER   COURT  

By Farooq Kasule and Priscilla Atwine

City pharmacist Brian Bagyenda accused of murdering his 23-year old fiancée has opted to remain silent.

Bagyenda was yesterday scheduled to make his defence in the matter but his lawyer Ezekiel Nsubuga Mubiru told the court that he will remain silent and rely on witnesses including his father Col. (Rtd) Frank Kaka Bagyenda. 

"My Lord, Bagyenda) has chosen to remain silent and summon witnesses to defend him," Mubiru submitted.

Kaka the Director-General of Internal Security Organisation (ISO) who was scheduled to testify in the matter yesterday didn't show up. Mubiru said he was busy on state duty.

Kaka is said to have requested Butabika Mental Hospital to discharge his son earlier than scheduled dates.

Prosecution alleges that the Bagyenda together with Innocent Bainomugisha and Vincent Rwahwire on January 13, 2017, killed Enid Twijukye and later dumped her body at Namanve Forest Reserve in Wakiso district.

It is said that Rwahwire and Bainomugisha were paid sh20, 000 and sh10, 000 respectively to tie up Twijukye with three pillowcases before she was killed.

Bagyenda is said to have masterminded the murder of Twijukye for allegedly stealing his sh4m.

Dr Brian Mutamba, a consultant psychiatrist at Butabika Mental Hospital says that Bagyenda was admitted at Butabika Mental Hospital on November 4, 2016, but he was discharged before completing his scheduled Physiotherapy treatment.

 "Bagyenda was suffering from a major depressive episode with suicidal anxiety symptoms," Mutumba says.

However, Dr Santon Ojala a police surgeon last week told the court that he examined Bagyenda on January 21, 2017, and he found him to be of sound mind with no physical injuries inflicted on his body.

Trial judge Moses Kawumi Kazibwe has adjourned the case until Friday when Kaka is expected to testify in the matter.

Last year, the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) rejected plea bargaining in the matter after the defence lawyers argued that Bagyenda was a patient at Butabika at the time when Twijukye was murdered.

Yesterday, Bainomugisha and Rwahwire admitted having been Bagyenda's shamba boys but denied knowledge of the crime.

"We used to work as cleaners at Brian's home but by the time of arrest we had not seen him for a long time," Bainomugisha said.

Bainomugisha explained that they were arrested near Nakumatt supermarket in Bugoloobi where Bagyenda had invited them.

"On January 17, 2017, Bagyenda called me and said he wanted to meet me but did not tell me why he picked me up from Nakumatt where I found him with Bainomugisha and he drove off to Bugoloobi and that is where we were arrested by plainclothes operatives," Rwahwire explained.

Rwahwire revealed that he was shocked to find Bainomugisha with Bagyenda yet he had gone to the village to harvest maize.

Bagyenda was arrested on January 18, 2017, after telephone print outs from the deceased's mobile phone showed that he was the last person she frequently called before her mysterious disappearance.

Court documents indicate that Twijukye, a daughter of Wilson Tibegaya, a headteacher at Karobwa Education Centre died after being raped.

Twijukye lived with her sister in Namugongo, Wakiso district but she is said to have left home on that fateful day to visit her unidentified friend in Bweyogerere.

The following day the deceased's phones went off, prompting her mother to contact family members about her whereabouts.

Police recovered Twijukye's decomposing body in Namanve Forest after the family had reported her missing.

At the time of death, Twijukye was working at Capital Shoppers in Ntinda and was due for graduation at Ndejje University.