Sembabule man held over hand grenade, army attire

Jul 09, 2015

SECURITY operatives in Mateete -Sembabule district arrested a 30-year-old man for illegal possession of hand grenade, army attire and other suspicious items

By Davis Buyondo and Rosset Nampeebwa

 

SECURITY operatives in Mateete -Sembabule district arrested a 30-year-old man for illegal possession of hand grenade, army attire and other suspicious items.

 

The suspect is identified as Edward Kawaawa, a resident of Mateete town and a finger nail-painter.

 

Security operatives were searching for household items said to have been stolen from his neighbour Shaibu Mulumba when they landed on army boots, bundled sticks, and a grenade.

 

Unknown assailants broke into Mulumba’s house on Sunday night in his absence and made off with such items as mattress, television set and other electrical appliances.

 

He later reported the matter to police which responded by searching his neighbours houses where they found most of the stolen items and a deadly explosive.

 

A hand grenade is a small explosive or bomb that can be thrown by hand and commonly used by soldiers especially in war.

 

Gregory Nuwagaba, the OC CIID Mateete Police station, said they have received various reports from different members of the community about Kawaawa’s suspicious character saying he was part of a criminal gang that has been terrorising residents in Mateete.

 

According to Nuwagaba, Kawaawa paints finger-nails during day to cover his criminal actions which he’s involved at the night. 

 

He explained that their preliminary findings show that Kawaawa is not a deserter from the army or any security organ but still disturbed as per the motive behind his possession of a grenade.

       

Muhammad Nsubuga, the OC Mateete police station, confirmed Kawaawa’s arrest saying they are still investigating means through which he got the explosive and army boots.

 

He explained that illegal possession of such explosive is a crime linked to terrorism adding that they are still interrogating him to establish his actual motive.

 

Already two files have been opened up against Kawaawa. Mateete CRB 215/ 2015 for being in possession of grenade and army boots and another CRB 211/2015 for theft.

 

Robert Walugembe, Sembabule DPC said they are very many criminal gangs in the district that have consistently distabilised the peace in different communities.

 

He said that Kawaawa is already in custody at Sembabule police station from where he will be transferred to Kireka in Kampala for further questioning. 

 

He suspects that Kawaawa could have connections with insurgents of the Allied Democratic Forces –ADF which they are still investigating.

 

He explained that there very many suspicious people in Sembabule and appealed to residents to report them before they could do any harm.

 

However, Kawaawa declined to speak to reporters upon arrest. Police detectives close to the case said that he has not yet divulged any details in relation to the grenade.

 

Noah Sserunjogi, the Regional Police Spokesperson, said that he will be handed over to respective departments for further investigations. He said that illegal possession of weapons such as firearms, grenades, and others is a crime.

 

Terrorism Act 2002 (Terrorism and Related Offences) 

The Act was designed to suppress acts of terrorism, to provide for the punishment of persons who plan, instigate, support, finance or execute acts of terrorism. It also bans intentional and unlawful manufacture, delivery, placement, discharge or detonation of an explosive or other lethal device, whether attempted or actual, in, into or against a place of public use, a State or Government facility, a public transportation system or an infrastructure facility, with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or extensive destruction likely to or actually resulting in major economic loss.

 

However, in last month, Parliament passed the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill, 2015. 

 

The Anti-Terrorism Amendment Act of Parliament seeks to amend the Anti-terrorism Act, 2002 to include various proposals from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on terror financing to others that bar terrorism tendencies.

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