Teenager lynched over stealing phone

CRIME  MOB JUSTICE

SEMBABULE- Police in Sembabule district is hunting for an angry mob that allegedly beat up a 17-year-old teenager, Gerald Mawejje to death over stealing a phone.

The residents at Kachwampale-Keyrasha village in Lugushuulu sub-county on Saturday morning found his body lying in the middle of the road and rushed to alert the LC1 chairman, Geoffrey Nayebare who then called Police.

Gerald Mawejje, a casual labourer left his home village in Kambulala village, Katwe sub-county, Sembabule district to visit his longtime friend and former boss, Joseph Kalimussowaani Kakooza at a farm in Keyrasha where he stayed for two days.

"The deceased and other five on Friday at around 10:00 pm reported a case of phone theft in my office then Mawejje revealed that he is guilty and handed over the phone to the owner without the lines, the case was closed as his boss paid sh80,000 to the owner with an agreement". LC1 Chairman, Geoffrey Nayebare said.

Gerald Bugembe the deceased's father says he received a call on Friday night from Kalimussowaani's sister known as Night demanding a ransom of 100,000. She said Mawejje would be beaten to death if he failed to send the money.

 Bugembe asked Police to intervene and arrest the suspects who are now on the run.

When Police reached the scene with a doctor who did a postmortem it was revealed that Mawejje was seriously beaten in a scuffle and his body was later dropped 1.5 km away from the farm. 

The OC station Asp Luka Mbusha has condemned the act of mob justice, investigations have kicked off, and soon, the suspects will be arrested and taken to court on murder charges.