Senior Police, SFC officials' espionage case deferred

ARMY COURT|CMI|POLICE|SPYING

KAMPALA - The trial of seven senior security officers accused of spying and sharing classified information to Rwandan Authorities has been deferred to September 28.

General Court Martial (GCM) Chairman, Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti, adjourned the case on Monday (September 7, 2020) after the prosecution requested for an adjournment to enable them complete their investigations.

"Since the defence does not object to the adjournment, this case is hereby adjourned to September 28, 2020 and all the accused are further remanded to Military Police Quarter Guard at Makindye Barracks until then," Gutti ruled.

The accused are senior officials from the Uganda Police Force and Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), respectively battling with charges related to security.

They include Second Lieutenants, Phillip Neville Ankunda 30, a pilot attached to the Special Forces Command (SFC) Headquarters and an officer of the UPDF Regular Forces and Alex Kasamula 31.

The duo is charged alongside, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Benon Akandwanaho 31, a Community Liaison officer attached to Kiira Police Headquarters and ASP Frank Sabiiti, 34, attached to Counter Terrorism Police at Mutukula Boarder post.

Others are Privates (Pte) Samuel Nathan Ndwaine, 27, Moses Asiimwe Makobore, 25, and Godfrey Mugabi, 27, all attached to Air Force Wing Nakasongola as students of Flight Engineering and Aircraft Maintenance.

The charges against the group contravene section 130 (1) (f) of the UPDF Act, 2005 and attracts a maximum penalty of death, upon conviction.

The arrest

The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) arrested the group in May on allegations that they shared classified information relating to their operations with sources who in turn shared the said information with Rwandan intelligence.

The charge

Prosecution led by Maj Samuel Masereje and Capt Ambrose Baguma purports that between February and May 2020, while at various places in Kampala district, Sabiiti, Akandwanaho, Ankunda, Kasamula, Ndwaine, Asiimwe, Mugabi and others still at large, shared sensitive information with agents of Rwandan authorities with intent to prejudice the security of the Defence Forces.