Court Charges Wembley Suspects
The Military General Court Martial yesterday began trying suspected armed criminals arrested under the on-going Operation Wembley.
By Solomon Muyita
The Military General Court Martial yesterday began trying suspected armed criminals arrested under the on-going Operation Wembley.
At least 40 suspects were produced but only 12 appeared in the court in Makindye Barracks. The court was chaired by Lt. Gen. Elly Tumwine. Security was tight. Operation Wembley is headed by Col Elly Kayanja.
The suspects were transported to the court in a minibus with tinted glass under heavy Military Police escort. They were then transferred to a court, whose doors and windows were fitted with grilles (iron frames).
Charged were Keti Amoit, the woman Police Constable who was in-charge of the armoury at the Kira Police Station, Kampala. She was arrested on August 27, on Lugogo By-Pass in Kampala, trying to sell a sub-machine gun (SMG) with 29 bullets.
Amoit, a mother of a one-year and a-half baby, is facing charges of illegal possession of the gun and illegal dealing in firearms.
Lawrence Osere, a local security guard, was also charged. They, however, denied the charges.
Prosecutor WO II Enock Odong asked the court to remand them, pending the fixing of the hearing of their case and court remanded them till September 30 when the hearing date of the case will be set.
One army private was charged with robbery, a local defence unit personnel (LDU) with illegal possession of an SMG riffle while a businessman was charged with murder.
A group of six men were charged with terrorism. Pte Innocent Kadugala, 37, attached to the 37th Battalion in Tororo, was charged with robbery of an unspecified amount of money and household property from Muhanguzi alias Kidugavu at Mirama Hills along the Uganda - Rwanda borders.
He is also accused of deserting the army in 1990 with an SMG and an unspecified number of bullets. An LDU, John Opolot, 20, attached to Kyali detachment in Moroto district, was arrested on August 6 with an illegal SMG loaded with 30 bullets. He admitted possessing the gun but said he had its certificate.
A Mbale town businessman, Patrick Gonyi, of Nampanga, Buwalasi in Budadiri county, was charged with the murder of Harriet Kiwanuka, a resident of Gogonya II Zone in Makindye, Kampala.
Emmanuel Nkonge Matovu, of Kapiira Zone in Mpererwe, Kampala, was accused of possessing pistol 188563 with eight bullets without a licence.
The court was jammed with relatives and friends of the accused persons, who included DP President Paul Ssemogerere and three MPs Winnie Byanyima (Mbarara Municipality), Sebuliba Mutumba (Kawempe South) and Abdul Katuntu (Bugweri).
The politicians came with sureties and a lawyer, Mohammed Mbabazi, to block the trial of three terrorism suspects or secure their bail. Both options failed. The three were Wilson Stephen Mukama alias Doctor, Henry Suubi and Vincent Ssalongo Kasozi. They were arrested with two SMGs and 10 bullets, army uniforms and a Captain’s pips.
Hearing resumes on Thursday.
Ends
The Military General Court Martial yesterday began trying suspected armed criminals arrested under the on-going Operation Wembley.
At least 40 suspects were produced but only 12 appeared in the court in Makindye Barracks. The court was chaired by Lt. Gen. Elly Tumwine. Security was tight. Operation Wembley is headed by Col Elly Kayanja.
The suspects were transported to the court in a minibus with tinted glass under heavy Military Police escort. They were then transferred to a court, whose doors and windows were fitted with grilles (iron frames).
Charged were Keti Amoit, the woman Police Constable who was in-charge of the armoury at the Kira Police Station, Kampala. She was arrested on August 27, on Lugogo By-Pass in Kampala, trying to sell a sub-machine gun (SMG) with 29 bullets.
Amoit, a mother of a one-year and a-half baby, is facing charges of illegal possession of the gun and illegal dealing in firearms.
Lawrence Osere, a local security guard, was also charged. They, however, denied the charges.
Prosecutor WO II Enock Odong asked the court to remand them, pending the fixing of the hearing of their case and court remanded them till September 30 when the hearing date of the case will be set.
One army private was charged with robbery, a local defence unit personnel (LDU) with illegal possession of an SMG riffle while a businessman was charged with murder.
A group of six men were charged with terrorism. Pte Innocent Kadugala, 37, attached to the 37th Battalion in Tororo, was charged with robbery of an unspecified amount of money and household property from Muhanguzi alias Kidugavu at Mirama Hills along the Uganda - Rwanda borders.
He is also accused of deserting the army in 1990 with an SMG and an unspecified number of bullets. An LDU, John Opolot, 20, attached to Kyali detachment in Moroto district, was arrested on August 6 with an illegal SMG loaded with 30 bullets. He admitted possessing the gun but said he had its certificate.
A Mbale town businessman, Patrick Gonyi, of Nampanga, Buwalasi in Budadiri county, was charged with the murder of Harriet Kiwanuka, a resident of Gogonya II Zone in Makindye, Kampala.
Emmanuel Nkonge Matovu, of Kapiira Zone in Mpererwe, Kampala, was accused of possessing pistol 188563 with eight bullets without a licence.
The court was jammed with relatives and friends of the accused persons, who included DP President Paul Ssemogerere and three MPs Winnie Byanyima (Mbarara Municipality), Sebuliba Mutumba (Kawempe South) and Abdul Katuntu (Bugweri).
The politicians came with sureties and a lawyer, Mohammed Mbabazi, to block the trial of three terrorism suspects or secure their bail. Both options failed. The three were Wilson Stephen Mukama alias Doctor, Henry Suubi and Vincent Ssalongo Kasozi. They were arrested with two SMGs and 10 bullets, army uniforms and a Captain’s pips.
Hearing resumes on Thursday.
Ends