No proof: Vision scribe's suspected killers freed

By Simon Masaba

KAMPALA - Two suspects in the murder of New Vision journalist Thomas Pere have been set free due to lack of evidence linking them to the crime.

Pere was killed late-night by unknown assailants in July this year as he returned home from work.

His body was dumped in a trench in Masajja, Wakiso district.

The suspects were released on a police bond on Tuesday after spending three months in custody at Katwe Police Station, pending further investigations.

Paul Mark Odongo, the Kampala South Metropolitan Crime Intelligence officer, said DNA results released on Tuesday from tests on which Police depended to prosecute the suspects turned negative.

The two men, who are commuter taxi operators, were arrested in July with a taxi that had blood stains.

Although Police investigations linked the taxi to Pere’s murder, there was no proof linking them to the crime in the absence of DNA tests.

Preliminary Police investigations showed that Pere’s murderers killed him from a different place after he resisted their robbery.

It is suspected that Pere was overwhelmed by the thugs while inside a taxi on his way home.

They made off with his laptop and personal effects after taking his life.

Police reports also indicate that he might have been killed in another place and his body dumped in Masajja, since he resided in Kawuku, along Entebbe road.

His body was discovered by a pupil on his way to school, who alerted residents and Police.

Earlier attempts to test the blood samples retrieved from the taxi were hindered by the break-down in the DNA machine.