Curfew: Two sent to prison for breaking into city arcades

COURT  CRIME

KAMPALA - Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate, Miriam Mangeni has charged and remanded two men to Kitalya Min Prison over theft.

The charged, Emmanuel Ongom, 19 and Julius Ombavu 18, are residents of Wilson Street in Kampala. They are accused of breaking into city arcades and stealing property worth sh11.9m, during curfew hours.

On arraignment in court, the trial Magistrate read them two counts of theft and shop breaking. They denied the charges.

The offences contravene sections 254 (1), 261 and 297 of the Penal Code Act and call for a maximum sentence of 10-years imprisonment on conviction.

Prosecution led by Ivan Kyazze told the court that inquiries in the matter are complete and requested for a hearing date.

"Your worship, inquiries regarding the matter before you are complete, we, therefore, pray that court slates hearing date," Kyazze said.

However, the accused pleaded to the court to grant them bail saying they were hungry and charges against them were too many than what they expected.

"We humbly pray that court be merciful and set us free for our relatives have not been able to come here to stand as our sureties due to government quarantine," Ongom said while crying.

This prompted the Magistrate to adjourn the case to April 20 for hearing.

"Since you have no sureties, be remanded till April 20, 2020, when you will be returned here for the hearing of your case," Mangeni said.

Prosecution alleges that on March 29, 2020, the accused and others still at large broke into Sunset Arcade on Wilson Road, Kampala, and stole two Laptops, a Lenovo tablet, Keyboard, hard discs, 42 LG flat TV screens, and adaptor, among other property.

According to the prosecution, the property belongs to Peter Wadero, Deborah Akampurira, Yusuf Sebuufu and Muhamad Kigozi.