Kampala bombing co-accused plead not guilty to charges
Sep 12, 2011
THE trial of the July 11, 2010 Kampala bomb attack suspects kicked off yesterday with 12 of them denying the charges.
By VISION REPORTERS
THE trial of the July 11, 2010 Kampala bomb attack suspects kicked off yesterday with 12 of them denying the charges.
Five of the 19 suspects had cases against them withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Richard Buteera.
A total of 76 people perished in the two incidents at Kyadondo Rugby Club and the Ethiopian Village Restaurant.
Twelve of the suspects took plea on three charges of terrorism and of murder. Each of the 12 suspects is facing a total of 90 counts relating to terrorism, murder and attempted murder. One of the suspects, who is yet to take plea, is facing charges of conspiracy to committee acts of terrorism.
Another suspect is separately facing charges of being an “accessory after the factâ€, meaning the suspect aided in the perpetration of the crimes.
The court, presided over by Justice Owiny Dollo, spent the entire day reading out the charges to each of the suspects to plead. They all pleaded not guilty.
The proceedings continue today with more charges being read out to the suspects.
The 12 suspects who denied the charges were: Hussein Hassan Agad, Idris Magondu, Isa Ahammed Luyima, Edris Nsubuga, Hassan Haruna Luyima, Abubakari Batematyo, Yahya Suleiman Mbuthia, Habib Suleiman Njoroge, Omar Awadhi Omar, Mohammad Hamid Sulaiman, Seleman Hijar Nyamandondo and Mohammad Ali Mohammad.
The two suspects yet to take plea are Muhamoud Mugisha and Muzafar Luyima.
Mugisha is facing charges of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, while Luyima is indicted with being an accessory to the offences of terrorism and murder.
The suspects arrived at the High Court under tight security from Luzira Prison aboard a prison bus with tinted windows.
Cuffed in pairs, both at the hands and the legs, the suspects were escorted by counter-terrorism operatives.
At the commencement of the proceedings, Caleb Alaka, one of the defence lawyers, opposed the amended indictment by the DPP in which two of his clients, both Tanzanians, Seleman Hijar Nyamandondo and Mohammed Ali Mohammed, were being charged with terrorism and murder.
Alaka said charging his clients with terrorism would be a miscarriage of justice, because the court in Tanzania from where they were extradited was not informed of the charge.
However, the judge agreed with the lead prosecutor, senior principal State Attorney Joan Kagezi, who argued that it would not prejudice their case.
“I don’t see that any of them would suffer any injustice. I, therefore, overrule the objection and order that the accused are charged with terrorism as amended,†the judge said.
THE trial of the July 11, 2010 Kampala bomb attack suspects kicked off yesterday with 12 of them denying the charges.
Five of the 19 suspects had cases against them withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Richard Buteera.
A total of 76 people perished in the two incidents at Kyadondo Rugby Club and the Ethiopian Village Restaurant.
Twelve of the suspects took plea on three charges of terrorism and of murder. Each of the 12 suspects is facing a total of 90 counts relating to terrorism, murder and attempted murder. One of the suspects, who is yet to take plea, is facing charges of conspiracy to committee acts of terrorism.
Another suspect is separately facing charges of being an “accessory after the factâ€, meaning the suspect aided in the perpetration of the crimes.
The court, presided over by Justice Owiny Dollo, spent the entire day reading out the charges to each of the suspects to plead. They all pleaded not guilty.
The proceedings continue today with more charges being read out to the suspects.
The 12 suspects who denied the charges were: Hussein Hassan Agad, Idris Magondu, Isa Ahammed Luyima, Edris Nsubuga, Hassan Haruna Luyima, Abubakari Batematyo, Yahya Suleiman Mbuthia, Habib Suleiman Njoroge, Omar Awadhi Omar, Mohammad Hamid Sulaiman, Seleman Hijar Nyamandondo and Mohammad Ali Mohammad.
The two suspects yet to take plea are Muhamoud Mugisha and Muzafar Luyima.
Mugisha is facing charges of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, while Luyima is indicted with being an accessory to the offences of terrorism and murder.
The suspects arrived at the High Court under tight security from Luzira Prison aboard a prison bus with tinted windows.
Cuffed in pairs, both at the hands and the legs, the suspects were escorted by counter-terrorism operatives.
At the commencement of the proceedings, Caleb Alaka, one of the defence lawyers, opposed the amended indictment by the DPP in which two of his clients, both Tanzanians, Seleman Hijar Nyamandondo and Mohammed Ali Mohammed, were being charged with terrorism and murder.
Alaka said charging his clients with terrorism would be a miscarriage of justice, because the court in Tanzania from where they were extradited was not informed of the charge.
However, the judge agreed with the lead prosecutor, senior principal State Attorney Joan Kagezi, who argued that it would not prejudice their case.
“I don’t see that any of them would suffer any injustice. I, therefore, overrule the objection and order that the accused are charged with terrorism as amended,†the judge said.