KIBOGA, UGANDA: The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kiboga District has released four murder suspects that have been in prison for eight months following a presidential directive to have them freed.
The four suspects who are accused of murdering three people from Kabaale Village in the neighbouring Kyankwanzi District include; Issa Mugerwa, 55, Godfrey Mugerwa, 40, Musa Ssenyange, 38, and Musa Mutwabule, 41.
Ms Phiona Barungi, the Senior Presidential Assistant for Special Duties who was present at the court on Friday explained that the president was concerned after receiving intelligence information that the accused residents were not involved in the murder.
“It came to the attention of the president that the accused were arrested on trumped-up charges. So, this is the reason why we are here to ensure justice is served,” Ms Barungi said.
The quartet was accused of murdering three people from Kabaale Village, Bbanda Sub County in the neighbouring Kyankwanzi District.
Court on Friday heard from witnesses that Mwawule and Akampurira connived with businessman Jessy Turyahikayo and his son Richard Tugume to hoodwink the suspects to vacate a 3-square-mile piece of land they were occupying.
“The two men brought over 100 people to occupy our land. When we tried to protest, they beat to scare us over the land, but we resisted,” George Niwagira, a councillor representing Bbanda Sub County at Kyankwanzi District said on Friday.
The four suspects were arrested on the orders of the then Kyankwanzi CID boss Mr Jonathan Akampurira and the District Police Commander (DPC) John Mwawule on accusations of murdering Aggrey Bamulanzeki, 35, Lasto Jeremiah, 22, John, 52, and Numme Ssebaggala, 31.
Niwagira, also the ruling National Resistance Movement Bdanda sub-county chairperson, said after being overpowered by the invaders, they petitioned President Museveni who also directed the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) to handle the matter in 2019.
“We continued the struggle until President Museveni directed the Directorate of Public Prosecutions to authorize Kiboga Chief Magistrate and her worship Jackline Namaazi to release them,” he said.
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