‘Soldier’ Okello’s case stalls
A CASE in which ‘Captain’ Fred James Okello, a former head of the controversial timber monitoring unit, is charged with forgery and impersonation has stalled because witnesses cannot be traced.
By Maurice Okore
A CASE in which ‘Captain’ Fred James Okello, a former head of the controversial timber monitoring unit, is charged with forgery and impersonation has stalled because witnesses cannot be traced.
The State prosecutor, Ambrose Opira, yesterday told the Buganda Road Court Magistrate Susan Kanyange that witnesses scheduled to testify against Okello were out of the country.
“I cannot proceed with the matter because my witnesses are currently out of the country. I ask for one month to proceed with the matter as I expect to find the witnesses,†he said.
Opira said Okello purported to be an army captain in order to impound vehicles carrying illegal timber at Nakawa between June and August 2003.
Prosecution said Okello, a retired soldier, was arrested last September after he claimed to be a UPDF captain attached to State House.
Okello, who was sacked by the Minister for Energy, Forestry and Environment minister Col Kahinda Otafiire, over the issue, denied both charges before being granted a cash bail of sh500,000.
Ends
A CASE in which ‘Captain’ Fred James Okello, a former head of the controversial timber monitoring unit, is charged with forgery and impersonation has stalled because witnesses cannot be traced.
The State prosecutor, Ambrose Opira, yesterday told the Buganda Road Court Magistrate Susan Kanyange that witnesses scheduled to testify against Okello were out of the country.
“I cannot proceed with the matter because my witnesses are currently out of the country. I ask for one month to proceed with the matter as I expect to find the witnesses,†he said.
Opira said Okello purported to be an army captain in order to impound vehicles carrying illegal timber at Nakawa between June and August 2003.
Prosecution said Okello, a retired soldier, was arrested last September after he claimed to be a UPDF captain attached to State House.
Okello, who was sacked by the Minister for Energy, Forestry and Environment minister Col Kahinda Otafiire, over the issue, denied both charges before being granted a cash bail of sh500,000.
Ends