Ndeeba church suspects get bail

COURT|CRIME|RELIGION|NDEEBA CHURCH|DEMOLITION

KAMPALA - Twenty two people including businessman Dodoviko Mwanje accused of demolition of St Peter's Church in Ndeeba have been granted bail. 

Makindye Chief Magistrate Prossy Katushabe on Wednesday afternoon released each of the accused on a sh2m cash bail. 

"This court finds that the sureties adduced in court by all the applicants are substantial. The objection of the state has no merit and each of the accused is released on a cash bail of sh2m," Katushabe ruled. 

Among the accused also include Ivan Katongole, a Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Urban Planner and KCCA civil engineer Richard Naika. 

Katongole is indicted on the charge over allegations of signing the demolition order for the church.  

Others include senior police officers and casual workers that were purportedly used to demolish the church. 

They are SSP Rashid Agero, 59, the Field Force Unit (FFU) commander Kampala Metropolitan area, SP Martin Odero, the FFU Kampala Metropolitan South zonal commander, SP David Epedu, 34, the Katwe Police Divisional commander and ASP Isabirye Kaloli, 33, attached to FFU, Katwe 

Others are ASP Mugira Yeko Kato, the OC Station Ndeeba Police Station, AIP Anthony Kiro and CPL Richard Kasule, Ali Lubega, Badiru Ssekitto, Hamza Kiberu, Abas Mutebi, Ali Kalika, Simon Matovu, James Kisirinya, Bashir Muruti, Andrew Mujuzi, Munir Bbosa, Muhammad Kawooya, and Ali Mukwaya, a Gombolola Internal Security Officer. 

The accused are battling charges of theft, disobedience of lawful orders and malicious damage to property. 

Prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large between March 2020 and August 10, 2020, conspired to demolish St. Peter's Church Ndeeba, the property to the Church of Uganda (CoU).