Muslim cleric charged with threatening to murder colleague

Similar charge: Abdusalam Sekayanja and Siraje Kawooya in court on Wednesday.They are facing charges of murdering Sheikh Hasan Kirya and Mustafa Bahiga. Photo by Meddie Musisi.

A muslim cleric, Sheikh Nasibu Lubega, has been charged with threatening to murder a colleague, Sheikh Abdul- Razakah.

Sheikh Lubega, 61, and Sheikh Abdul-Razakah are both Imams (leaders) of a Mosque located at Naguru, a suburb of Kampala city.

Represented by Suleiman Musoke Lubega appeared before Grade One Magistrate Moses Nabende at City Hall court in Kampala on Wednesday where he denied the charges.

However, immediately after being charged, Lubega asked to be released on bail, which the magistrate granted. The cleric was let free after paying sh1.5m that the court imposed as a condition.

Lubega also had to produce three substantial sureties who were bonded sh7m each which they would incur if he (Lubega) disappeared. They included Sheikh Adnan Ssenkumba, 36, (the head of Imams in Naguru), Muhammad Lubega, 28, (son to the accused), and Shafik Lubega, 44.

The magistrate said that although the accused faced a serious charge in nature, he is of advanced age. He then ordered the sureties to present their identification that included the letters from their respective local council (LC) letters and copies of their National Identity Cards (NIDs), which they readily did.   

State prosecutor Jackline Chamisire had not objected to the application for the grant of bail, but asked court to impose stringent conditions considering the nature of the offence.

She also requested court to order the accused to deposit passports in court, so that it can act as security.

"Your worship inquiries are still on-going. I pray that you adjourn the case to another date," she requested. 

The magistrate adjourned the case to December 21, 2016 when the state will notify court about the status of investigations.

According to Musoke, the complainant received an anonymous letter, in which he was threatened to be killed a bought a fortnight ago from an unidentified people. They had threatened to pour acid on him and to shoot him with a gun.

It is said that it was a boda-boda cyclist who served the complainant with the letter.

However, due to disputes the complainant was embroiled in with the accused in regard to the administration of the mosque; he suspected that it was Lubega who wrote the letter.

According to the defence lawyer, the dispute arose when the complainant dismissed some employees from the mosque and the accused blamed him.

This prompted the complainant to open a case at Kira Road Police Station against the accused, who was later summoned by the police and he recorded a statement denying the allegations.