UPDF soldier to serve 12 years in jail

By Chris Ocowun 

A UPDF soldier private, Loware Emerimor attached to Gulu Child Protection Unit was sentenced to 12years imprisonment and dismissed from the army for hiring his gun at sh200,000 to a civilian for poaching.

According to the UPDF 4th division spokesman, Capt. Peter Mugisa, the Unit Disciplinary Committee Court found Loware guilty of the offence on his own plea under section 122 of UPDF Act of 2005-failure to protect war materials.The soldier is serving his sentence at Gulu central prisons.

During the court presided over by Maj. S. Obima, the chairman of the Unit Disciplinary Committee Court at Gulu 4th division barracks on Thursday, the prosecution stated that on October 12th 2011, the accused soldier while on duty guarding an installation in Gulu municipality, he hired out his personal gun to one Komakech at sh200,000 for poaching.

Mugisa stated that according to the report that they obtained from Loware, Komakech had promised to give sh1m to the soldier. According to section 122 of the UPDF Act, a person who fails to protect war materials, misuses or hires out and found guilty of then offence, is liable to death on conviction.

“This sentence will act as a deterrent measure to others who would want to commit the same offence. We would have loved to charge Komakech in the military court for conniving with Loware to hire out the gun for poaching,” he stated.

He decried the many cases of civilians conniving with some UPDF soldiers to hire out their guns for poaching saying that in 2009 about five similar cases were tried by the division court martial. 

“By giving this soldier the harsh punishment of 12years in jail, other soldier will fear to hire out their guns to the civilians for poaching and committing other crimes,” said Mugisa.

The same military disciplinary court sentenced Lt. Onesmus B Orikirizibwa to two months detention for insubordination contrary to section 136 of the UPDF Act of 2005. Prosecution said that on October 2011, while UPDF officers were being briefed by the division operations and training officer allegedly behaved with contempt towards his superior, disregarding the earlier warnings.

“Even when this lieutenant was summoned by his superior, he stubbornly refused to honor the summon,” prosecution noted. The same military court is also handling a case against Ronald Oola Okot who is accused of unlawfully escaping from custody contrary to section 169 of the UPDF Act of 2005.

According to the particular of the offence, on September 3rd, 2011, Okot who was at Gulu 4th division quarter guards in custody serving his case, escaped and ran after stealing a motor cycle belonging to another soldier of engineering brigade.

“He was arrested and now facing trial. He pleaded not guilty of the offence. The case was adjourned until November 15th when prosecution will produce witnesses in the court,” Mugisa stated.