The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
“DNA records of everybody are good to compare with blood samples, sweat, sperm etc found at the scene of crime. Palm-prints are better than thumb prints because the criminal may leave the palm-print and not thumb print,” the President said in a condolence message on Wednesday afternoon following the murder of Suzan Magara, a cashier who had been kidnapped on February 7.
In a series of tweets, Museveni argued that with criminals getting more advanced, government should step up its investigative ability.
“In order to eliminate these criminals, we may have to look at two other measures: capturing the palm-print of everybody and the DNA of everybody. Some elements try to argue that capturing the DNA of people is not democratic. I cannot understand why it is not democratic,” he argued. DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that contains the genetic code of organisms.
He promised that security will find Suzan Magara’s killers and warned the telecom operators on sim-card registration.
“As for the killers of Susan, we shall get them because there are clues they left behind. I will not allow anybody to interfere with the freedom of our young people,” he said, adding that “furthermore, no mobile or fixed phone SIM cards should be given to anybody without the electronic identity card. We may require the sellers of mobile phone SIM cards to have electronic identity card readers so that we rule out the photocopying of genuine electronic ID cards.”
Museveni blamed lack of cameras and unregulated sale of mobile phone SIM cards for failure to resolve many crimes in Uganda. “The gaps we have been having in the towns have been lack of cameras and unregulated sale of mobile phone SIM cards to people without electronic identity cards. It is these gaps that we are in the process of closing. In the next few months, the cameras will be up in many areas.”
Friends and Abazukulu (grandchildren), I tweet to convey condolences to Mutabani (son) Magara and family on the brutal murder of our grand-daughter, Susan Magara.
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) February 28, 2018
Susan’s murder shows what sort of swine (pigs) we have in Africa that do not value treasures like the beautiful Suzzie whom, unfortunately, I had not had the opportunity of meeting.
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) February 28, 2018
The NRM defeated rural terrorists like Kony and ADF; and defeated the Karimojong cattle rustlers because we created forces that could cope with those rural security challenges and equipment to assist them.
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) February 28, 2018
Earlier on Wednesday, John Fitzgerald Magara narrated the ordeal the family went through in the search for their daughter Suzan Magara, who was found dead on Tuesday.
“We’ve had difficult days from the 7th of February when we started looking for Suzan,” he told mourners at the requiem mass at Mbuya Lady of Africa Catholic Church on Wednesday. (full video via NTV above)
Magara narrated his engagements with police, how the contacted the kidnappers, negotiated and President Yoweri Museveni’s intervention. He said President Museveni followed the investigations closely, and he narrated how they asked that the family go with the demands and offer the ransom.
He did not confirm how much the family offered, but the kidnappers had reportedly demanded for sh3 billion.
“I thought I was talking to ordinary criminals who we would discuss thinking their main motive would be money but ten days ago, they delivered two of her fingers and a recording of a ‘must see’ video which I handed over to police without watching it. I asked them to tell me what was in it,” he said.
“We offered what they asked for but nothing happened….we got concerned something was going wrong after days without her being released,” he said.
Magara stated they only confirmed news of the death after they saw the body, saying in conclusion that “It gave me some relief that she was dead and we wouldn’t be looking for Susan anymore. We live in fear now because we do not know the motive why all this happened… we wait for answers.”
Suzan Magara’s body was found off the Kampala Southern Bypass between Kigo and Kanjansie and police have offered sh100 million to whoever has information that can lead to the arrest of suspects in this murder case.
Police have shared a recording of the suspects. Apart from the police audio, another audio was posted on social media indicating negotiations between the family and the suspected kidnappers (below).
Magara, 28, a cashier at the Bwendero Dairy Farm went missing the night of Feb 7, 2018 near Mengo in Kampala. Magara’s car was found abandoned 100m from her residence.
This case is similar to that of Francis Ekalungar, 49, an accountant at Case Hospital in Kampala who disappeared, was killed and his body burnt beyond recognition last month. After Case reported a case of a missing person, his body was discovered in Kajjansi, a city suburb of Kampala.
POLICE AUDIO
AUDIO FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
Voice recording of one of the suspected murderers. We appeal to the public if you can positively identify the voice in this recording please call these toll free number 0800199044 , 0800199055 pic.twitter.com/OwfGWI0xkJ
— Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) February 27, 2018
Sad. The police and security forces remain focused on regime (one man) survival and not protection of citizens. this is what the so-called 317 heroes and new historicals have achieved and were celebrating recently!