Another five charged over Nebanda death

By Edward Anyoli  & Rebecca Mulungi

KAMPALA - Five more people have been charged with manslaughter in connection to the death of Butaleja MP Cerinah Nebanda.

 Ali Omar Almuzahim, Khan  Babu Abdul ,Noor  Abubaker Abid Rashied  Butt aka Ikbar  and Fatuma  Babu aka Tuma were charged before  Makindye Court  Chief Magistrate Esta Nambayo on Tuesday.

Sulaiman Adam Kalungi, the boyfriend to Nebanda was earlier charged with manslaughter where he first pleaded guilty but later denied the charge on January7.

The co-accused also denied the charges of manslaughter and were remanded to Luzira Prison until Febraury 5, when they will re-appear in court for their bail.

The five suspects were not in court last week when Kalungi was charged before the same court.

Unlike his co-accused who applied for bail, Kalungi has not applied seeking to be granted bail.

Drug charge dismissed

Judge Nambayo also dismissed the charge of supplying and dispensing restricted drugs against all the accused after one of the lawyers – MacDosman Kabega – raised an objection, saying the charge does not disclose what drug was dispensed and who it was dispensed to.

“Without what particular drug that was dispensed and to who it was dispense makes the charge incurably defective and no amount of amendment can cure it,” Kabega said.

He further argued that National Drug Authority (NDA) has a list of restricted drugs and without disclosing those particular drugs, makes the offence of dispensing and supplying ambiguous.

The judge agreed with Kabega’s submission and dismissed the charge of supplying and dispensing drug.

However, another charge of unlawful possession of narcotic drug against Kalungi and Omar Almuzahim still stands.

Kalungi, the lover of former Butaleja MP Nebanda was arrested three weeks ago.

He was tracked down in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa by a four-man team from the Police’s Violent Crime Intelligence and Operation(VCIOU) working in collaboration  with the Kenyan police.

He was later handed over to Ugandan authorities.

In a rare interview with New Vision Kalungi said he and the late Nebanda spent a night together on December 13, last year.

He said the dead legislator allegedly consumed cocaine so as to gain courage to air out her views in Parliament.

Nebanda, 24, passed away on December 14 last year at Mukwaya General Clinic shortly after Kalungi and his friend dropped her at the clinic before they fled.

A highly disputed government forensic report linked Nebanda’s death to cocaine and heroin.