The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The army has explained the re-arrest of the suspects in the murder of former Police Spokesperson, Andrew Felix Kaweesi following their release on bail. The suspects are Yusuf Nyanzi, Jibril Kalyango, Joshua Kyambadde, Yusuf Mugerwa, Abdu Rashid Mbazira, Higenyi Aramaathan Noordin, Bruhan Balyejusa and Shafiq Kasujja.
A team of uniformed and plain cloth security officers rounded up four of the suspects in the premises of the International Crimes Division on Wednesday evening minutes after being discharged by the Court Registrar, Esther Nasambu on the orders of Justice Lydia Mugambe who granted them bail several months ago.
These included Yusuf Nyanzi, Jibril Kalyango, Joshua Kyambadde, Yusuf Mugerwa and their lawyer, James Mubiru who has since been charged with obstructing justice at Jinja road police station. The suspects were bundled in a super custom being used by the security officers and driven to unspecified location.
Four of the suspects including Abdu Rashid Mbazira, Higenyi Aramaathan Noordin, Bruhan Balyejusa and Shafiq Kasujja had earlier on been returned to Luzira prisons on grounds that they face charges of forging their National identity cards and child trafficking before Nabweru and Mukono Magistrate’s court respectively.
Now, the Army Spokesperson, Brigadier Richard Karemire, says the suspects were picked up by Joint Security Forces and are locked up at a gazetted facility on allegations that they are peace violators.
“Our people deserve peace and security forces will do whatever they can within the laws established to ensure that,” said Karemire. Brig. Karemire, who declined to reveal where the suspects are being held referred our reporter to president, Yoweri Museveni’s recent social media write up on security in the country.
“Secondly, the political leaders must harmonize with the Courts on the issue of the fundamental concept of Justice. The NRM concept, for most of the time, is an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth. It is only in politics where we adopted reconciliation as a strategy. Part of the reason for being soft in reconciliation is that we had already punished our opponents seriously in war “, reads Museveni message in part.
Adding that “It is therefore not correct to say that those mistake- makers were not punished. They were punished in the conflict. With peace, it was in the national interest to reconcile. This is totally different from the phenomenon of Civilian Courts condoning, aiding and abetting crime by, contrary to the wishes of the country, exonerating criminals. This is promoting impunity”.
Museveni also noted the need to work on the courts most especially on how they can move quickly on the cases of murder, rape, terrorism, and making punishments to be severe, including the hanging of Killers. Trouble for the suspects started after the death of former Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
Kaweesi was shot dead on March, 17th, 2017 together with his bodyguard Kenneth Erau and driver, Godfrey Mambewa. The accused were arrested from various districts in the country and taken to the courts of law on charges of murder, aggravated robbery and terrorism.
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