The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government of Uganda has said one of the two arrested Rwandan Nationals, Theogen Sendegeya escaped from Butabika Hospital and his whereabouts are unknown to the state.
A representative from the Attorney General’s office, State Attorney Brian Musota told on Monday.
Musota revealed before High Court Judge Esta Nambayo in the matter where the Ugandan Government and her Military had appeared to explain why they have been holding two Rwandan Nationals including Sendegeya and Emmanuel Magezi for eleven months without any charges against them.
This was in regards to the order Justice Nambayo issued last week following an application by the lawyers of the jailed persons who told court that the duo have been in illegal detention since their arrest in March 2019.
The lawyers led by Eron Kiiza argued that their clients were arrested by the operatives from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence – CMI led by Major Mushambo who picked them from Mbarara District and detained them at Makenke Military Barracks before transferring them to CMI headquarters in Kampala.
However, on Monday, State Attorney Musota while appearing before court tendered documents indicating that currently Sendegeya and Magezi are not anywhere in their detention facilities as they were taken to Butabika Hospital for treatment.
The document sworn by Lt General Joseph Musanyufu, the Joint Chief of Staff of the UPDF indicates that Magezi and Sendegeya were arrested by a joint security operation on suspicion of involvement in actions prejudicial to national security.
“He was forwarded to Butabika Hospital on August 23rd, 2019 for treatment. He escaped from the Hospital on September 1st 2019 and his whereabouts are unknown,” says Lt Gen Musanyufu in his affidavit.
In respect to Emmanuel Magezi, Lt Gen Musanyufu states that he was arrested under similar circumstances and subsequently forwarded to Butabika Hospital for Psychiatric Treatment but he died on January 21st 2020.
He also tendered in court another letter dated October 21st, 2019 from Butabika Hospital confirming Magezi’s admission at the same hospital.
The letter written by Dr Apio Irene Wengi confirms that Magezi was their client having been admitted on August 23rd , 2019 for a psychotic mental disorder. However, by the time the letter was written, Magezi was still undergoing in patient care.
A post mortem report made by the Dr Richard Ambayo of City Mortuary which URN has seen indicates that Magezi died of brain infarction, a medical term to mean stroke.
Now the court has advised that Magezi’s next of kin should get in touch with Butabika Hospital to get his remains.
However, their lawyer Eron Kiiza has told URN that his client could have died of torture adding that Butabika Hospital was just used to clean up the process.
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