Aguma should be tried at Police Disciplinary Unit - court rules

PIC: Aguma arriving for court proceedings recently

CRIME

KAMPALA - Justice Margaret Oumo-Oguli has ordered for the prosecution of Senior Commissioner of Police Joel Aguma at the Police Disciplinary Unit instead of the army court.

In her ruling delivered on Tuesday, the deputy head of the civil division of the High Court quashed charges of kidnap instituted against Aguma.

"An order is hereby issued quashing the charges instituted against the applicant and consequent proceedings in the General Court Martial (GCM) sitting in Makindye," she ruled.

The court also directed that Aguma be released from Makindye Military barracks and placed into the custody of the Police as he awaits trial.

The judge also awarded Aguma sh200m in damages for the trauma he has suffered and costs of the case.

Aguma was recently charged at GCM with kidnapping and repatriating two Rwandan nationals. His co-accused are Nickson Karuhanga Agasirwe, the former commandant of Police's Special Operations Unit; Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police James Magada and Detective Assistant Inspector of Police Benon Atwebembeire.

Others are Detective Sergeant Abel Tumukunde, Special Police Constable Faisal Katende, Detective Corporal Amon Kwarisima, a Rwandan, Rene Rutagungira (he is an army officer from Rwanda) and a Congolese, Pacifique Bahati Muhlgenga alias Ilunga Monga.

Prosecution alleges that the nine accused persons unlawfully kidnapped Jackson Kalemera alias Ndinga and (lieutenant) Joel Mutabazi and delivered to Rwanda without their consent. Mutabazi was a former bodyguard of Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

Prosecution states that on October 25, 2013 at Kamengo in Mpigi district along the Kampala-Masaka road, while in unlawful possession of firearms and grenades, ordinarily a monopoly of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), the accused persons conveyed Kalemera and Mutabazi to Rwanda