Army court to decide on Kipoi's co-accused

COURT|CRIME|SECURITY|ARMY

The army court will decide on September 14 whether the five soldiers charged with former Bubulo West MP Tony Kipoi Nsubuga have a case to answer.

The chairperson of the General Court Martial, Lt Gen. Andrew Gutti, while chairing the sitting in Makindye on Monday, adjourned the case shortly after the prosecution presented their last witness.

"This case is adjourned to September 14, 2020, in order to find out whether the accused have a case to answer," Gutti ruled.

The soldiers are Sgt. Yunus Lemeriga, Cpl Rogers Mweru, Sgt Adams Mawa, Sgt Albino Okeng and Pte Dodola Ijosiga.

They are attached to the armoured brigade in Masaka.

Kipoi and the group were granted bail in June last year. They are accused of plotting to overthrow the Government.

Gutti granted Kipoi bail without sureties on the request of defence lawyer Maj. Charles Ssekayita.

Kipoi had spent a year and two months on remand at Luzira Prisons.

Gutti, however, ordered each of the accused to report to the court registrar, John Bizimana, every first Thursday of the month.

Kipoi and his co-accused are battling charges related to security at the army court.

The offence attracts a maximum sentence of death, on conviction.

Prosecution alleges that the accused and others, between November 2012 and December 2013, in diverse places of Kampala, Wakiso, Nakasongola, Fort Portal, Ntoroko and Masaka, convened meetings to recruit soldiers to jeopardise the security of the country.

Kipoi is also accused of recruiting people in both Uganda and DR Congo to overthrow the Government.

He is also alleged to have been a financer of the Allied Democratic Front (ADF) rebel group.

In 2014, Kipoi was granted bail on treason charges by Justice Lameck Mukasa, but was re-arrested in February last year, in Botswana, on accusations of masquerading as a witchdoctor and defrauding four female victims of more than 290,000 Pula (about sh111.6m), between May 2017 and January 20.

In March 2018, he was deported to Uganda, through negotiations between Botswana and the Ugandan government.

Kipoi has since filed a constitutional petition challenging the independence and impartiality of the General Court Martial to try him at the Constitutional Court.

He argues that: "Subjecting me to military law is illegal and unlawful."