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Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Jinja Resident District Commissioner Erick Sakwa has been released on bail.
Sakwa alongside and two others were charged with three counts of manslaughter, theft and malicious damage, stemming from the death of one Charles Isanga, a trader from Lwanda village in Mafubira sub county, Jinja district who died days after a scuffle with a team that was enforcing presidential directives to stop the spread of coronavirus disease.
According to the directives, the president had banned the operations of all non-food stores as one of the measures to reduce person-to-person contact. Only essential services were allowed to continue operating during a lockdown which started in March.
Reports indicated that Isanga had succumbed to injuries sustained during the March 22, fracas. In the aftermath, Sakwa was arrested and charged with manslaughter, robbery and malicious damage. He was subsequently remanded to Kirinya prison.
Today, Sakwa appeared before the Jinja Chief Magistrate Jessica Chemeri online through the ZOOM Conferencing technology connected from Kirinya prison for his bail application.
His four sureties included the Butembe County Member of Parliament Nelson Lufafa, Kagoma County MP Walyomu Muwanika, Jinja Municipality Mayor Majid Batambuze, and Jinja District Chairperson Titus Kisambira. They were each granted a non-cash bond of 10 million Shillings.
Although the Resident State Attorney, Doreen Naluyima had told the court that the suspects and their sureties were influential people in society who could jeopardize investigations, Sakwa’s lawyer Evans Ochieng informed the court that his client has a fixed place of abode and is a senior citizen who will respect all the set court terms and conditions.
The Magistrate ruled that the accused person fulfilled all the set terms which warranted his bail. He was released on a non-cash bail of five million shillings. Sakwa is supposed to appear on Monday, May 5, 2020, when Court begins hearing charges preferred against him.
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Mr president said anyone being caught because of covid19 pandemic shouldn’t be given a bail so how come? it seems even chief majestrates can’t responde to the president’s directives! if that, you couldn’t have been caught him because it makes no sense of catching a person then after you give him/her a bail. many people in villages are not following directives of the president, they take alcohol indoors, security can’t go there instead they’re in towns only while in the villages people are breaking the directives of the president during curfew. even here in Kampala security is not everywhere that’s why people are still taking malwa.I’ve seen some boda riders are still taking passengers where there’s no security because its not available in every corner in Kampala.