Four suspects remanded for financing terror

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Buganda Road Magistrates Court has remanded four suspects to Luzira prison on charges of belonging and rendering support to a terrorist organization, the Allied Democratic Forces.

The suspects include; Rashidah Namiiro, a resident of Kirokole zone in Kawempe, Kampala district, Saidi Kakooza alias Bizimana, a resident of Nakitokolo village in Nsangi town council, Wakiso district, Ibrahim Rajab alias Idrah alias Ali and a one Namiiro.

The group had been arraigned before the court presided over by Grade One Magistrate Siena Owomugisha and charged with belonging to a terrorist organization and rendering support to it.

The court has heard that the accused persons between 2016 and March 2022 in diverse areas of Kampala, Kasese, Bwera, Mpondwe and Busoga region belonged or professed to belonging to the ADF, a designated terrorist organization.

The court has also heard that the accused persons rendered support to Allied Democratic Forces knowing or having reason to believe that the support will be applied or used in connection to committing terrorism acts.

The only female suspect in this case Namiiro is singularly accused of having collected funds directly or indirectly well knowing that those funds will be used to support activities of ADF.

The accused persons were sent to Luzira prison until May 20th, 2022 when they will be appearing before the Chief Magistrate who has the powers to try them as investigations into the case against them continues.

This is not the only group of suspects before Buganda Road Court on terrorism charges.

There are other four groups of suspects with more than 20 people who were charged in December 2021 and January 2022 also on allegations of terrorism.

The prosecutors allege that between 2017 and 2021, the suspects without any due regard to the safety of other people manufactured, placed, and detonated improvised explosives with an intention of causing death and serious injury which resulted in a major economic loss.

The hunt for these suspects started moments after the twin bomb blasts in Kampala in November 2021 which left seven people dead including the suspected suicide bombers.

Prior to the twin blasts, other bombs had gone off in a coach belonging to Swift bus along the Masaka highway and another at Digida pork joint in Kyanja, a city suburb.

Meanwhile, the Kampala Capital City Authority Hall Court has sentenced a house wife Deborah Apolot to a caution on charges of causing grievous harm to her ten year old son.

Apolot pleaded guilty to the charges of grievous harm in a video that  went viral on social media recorded by her neighbors in Dungu zone, Kisaasi Nakawa Division beating her son Henry Imiat to almost comma .

But she was sentenced to a caution by Grade One Magistrate Fatuma Nabirye for not wasting court’s time.

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