Convicted Mayuge boss goes missing
Dec 20, 2009
THE Police in Jinja have so far failed to trace and re-arrest the Mayuge district chairperson, Baker Ikoba Tigawalana, who was last week convicted of murdering his political rival, Fred Nume Musiitwa, six years ago.
By George Bita and Donald Kiirya
THE Police in Jinja have so far failed to trace and re-arrest the Mayuge district chairperson, Baker Ikoba Tigawalana, who was last week convicted of murdering his political rival, Fred Nume Musiitwa, six years ago.
Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said yesterday they had not been able to trace his whereabouts.
The southern region Police chief, Christopher Kubai, told The New Vision in Jinja that an arrest warrant had been issued for Tigawalana but they had not yet got him.
“No report has yet come in that he has been arrested but the order to arrest him was given,†Kubai said over the weekend.
In 2003, Tigawalana also tried to elude arrest but security used his cell phone to track him to Annesworth Hotel in Jinja town.
The Court of Appeal last week convicted the Mayuge boss for the June 2003 kidnap and murder of Musiitwa. Since the Thursday ruling, Tigawalana’s cell phone has been off.
A source at the Mayuge district headquarters disclosed that the LC5 boss had left for a meeting at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi early last week. “But his colleagues came back on Saturday without him. He may have simply disappeared to avoid arrest,†he added.
In 2005, a High Court session presided over by Justice Okumu Wengi acquitted Tigawalana, who was consequently set free in time to re-contest for the Mayuge chairmanship in 2006.
Although he acquitted Tigawalana, the trial judge, Okumu-Wengi, had found Lt. Gadaffi Yakubu Walusimbi and Private Bwambale guilty of manslaughter and sentenced them to 18 and seven years in prison respectively.
Only Walusimbi was in court on Thursday having been produced from Luzira prison where he was still serving his jail term. His sentence may now be changed following his conviction on murder.
The Court of Appeal on Thursday overturned Wengi’s ruling and convicted Tigawalana of murdering his friend-turned-foe.
In their unanimous decision, the judges stated: “The irresistible conclusion is that chairman Tigawalana was part and partial of the conspiracy to kill Musiitwa, that he invented and plotted it, that it was done in his own way under his supervision and it was him who ordered the killers to travel up to his own home to receive payment for a job accomplished.â€
Musiitwa, who went to school with Tigawalana, had questioned his academic credentials to contest for the district seat in the court.
After pronouncing him guilty last Thursday, the Court of Appeal ordered for Tigawalana’s immediate arrest together with one of his two accomplices, Private Bwambale, who had already finished serving his seven years jail term.
THE Police in Jinja have so far failed to trace and re-arrest the Mayuge district chairperson, Baker Ikoba Tigawalana, who was last week convicted of murdering his political rival, Fred Nume Musiitwa, six years ago.
Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said yesterday they had not been able to trace his whereabouts.
The southern region Police chief, Christopher Kubai, told The New Vision in Jinja that an arrest warrant had been issued for Tigawalana but they had not yet got him.
“No report has yet come in that he has been arrested but the order to arrest him was given,†Kubai said over the weekend.
In 2003, Tigawalana also tried to elude arrest but security used his cell phone to track him to Annesworth Hotel in Jinja town.
The Court of Appeal last week convicted the Mayuge boss for the June 2003 kidnap and murder of Musiitwa. Since the Thursday ruling, Tigawalana’s cell phone has been off.
A source at the Mayuge district headquarters disclosed that the LC5 boss had left for a meeting at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi early last week. “But his colleagues came back on Saturday without him. He may have simply disappeared to avoid arrest,†he added.
In 2005, a High Court session presided over by Justice Okumu Wengi acquitted Tigawalana, who was consequently set free in time to re-contest for the Mayuge chairmanship in 2006.
Although he acquitted Tigawalana, the trial judge, Okumu-Wengi, had found Lt. Gadaffi Yakubu Walusimbi and Private Bwambale guilty of manslaughter and sentenced them to 18 and seven years in prison respectively.
Only Walusimbi was in court on Thursday having been produced from Luzira prison where he was still serving his jail term. His sentence may now be changed following his conviction on murder.
The Court of Appeal on Thursday overturned Wengi’s ruling and convicted Tigawalana of murdering his friend-turned-foe.
In their unanimous decision, the judges stated: “The irresistible conclusion is that chairman Tigawalana was part and partial of the conspiracy to kill Musiitwa, that he invented and plotted it, that it was done in his own way under his supervision and it was him who ordered the killers to travel up to his own home to receive payment for a job accomplished.â€
Musiitwa, who went to school with Tigawalana, had questioned his academic credentials to contest for the district seat in the court.
After pronouncing him guilty last Thursday, the Court of Appeal ordered for Tigawalana’s immediate arrest together with one of his two accomplices, Private Bwambale, who had already finished serving his seven years jail term.