The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The General Court Martial in Makindye has reinstated the bail of former Flying Squad Commander Herbert Muhangi who is facing charges of failure to protect war materials and aiding and abetting kidnaps in Uganda.
Muhangi was first granted a non-cash bail of ten million Shillings on February 19, 2019, on health grounds. According to support documents from the Military Police Health Center III, Muhangi was suffering from a rare condition of ulcers which could not be treated at that facility.
However, he was rearrested immediately by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence within the precincts of the Makindye-based General Court Martial. He was never presented to any court after the re-arrest. This morning, Muhangi appeared in the chambers of Lt General Andrew Gutti, the Court Martial Chairperson, and in the company of two sureties, his bail was reinstated.
Muhangi is jointly charged together with the former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura and six senior police officers Atwooki Ndahura, Nixon Agasirwe, Richard Ndaboine, Patrick Muramira, Jonas Ayebaza and Kitagenda Abel Muyomba.
The prosecution alleges that between 2012 and 2016, the accused persons, by Omission and Commission, aided and abetted kidnaps, which resulted into repatriation of Rwandan exiles, refugees and Ugandan Citizens to Rwanda. The victims include Lt Joel Mutabaazi, Jackson Karemera and Sergeant Innocent Kalisa.
It is also alleged that between 2010 and 2018 the group allowed the use of firearms to unauthorized persons specifically the members of Boda-boda 2010 led by Abdullah Kitatta. Muhangi who was arrested in June 2018 has since denied the charges.
In 2019, Muhangi presented three sureties including Assistant Commissioners of Police Elvis Byamugisha the head of Research in Uganda Police Force, Emmanuel Muheirwe the head of Human Resource and Robert Kakuru, a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Makerere University.
He had been barred from moving outside Kampala and Wakiso districts without permission from the court and directed to report to Court Martial twice in a month.
Muhangi now becomes the third person to be released after Kayihura and Colonel Ndahura. The case will return to court on February 10, 2020, for mention.
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