The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Director of Public Prosecutions has been granted more time to assess the evidence they intend to use against eight suspects accused of murdering former Police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
They are: Abdu Rashid Mbaziira, Aramathan Higenyi, Bruhan Balyejusa, Shafiq Kasujja, Yusuf Nyanzi, Jibril Kalyango, Joshua Kyambadde and Yusuf Mugerwa.
The Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Lino Anguzu on Tuesday told the court presided over by Justice Duncan Gaswagga that from the time the suspects were committed for trial about two years ago, a lot of things have not yet been put in place.
Court heard that they have not been able to assess and disclose the evidence they want to use against the accused persons to their defense lawyers including Anthony Wameli and Geoffrey Turyamusiima.
He added that they have not yet assessed the evidence they have to see if they will have any preliminary applications to make in respect of the protection of their 30 witnesses and any other related matters.
Anguzu asked the court to be given three weeks hoping that it will be enough for the directorate to look through their evidence.
However, Wameli told the court that they have not received any disclosures from the State despite having made several requests sent to them.
Justice Gaswagga granted the State adjournment until July 21, 2020, for the session to resume.
During the court session that occurred at Judiciary headquarters, two of the eight suspects Abdu Rashid Mbaziira and Aramathan Higenyi followed the proceedings live from Luzira prison while appearing via Zoom technology.
However, the rest appeared physically in court coming from their respective homes after they benefited from Justice Lydia Mugambe’s bail decision in 2019.
The group was picked from various districts in the country and later charged with the murder of Kaweesi, his bodyguard Kenneth Erau and driver Godfrey Mambewa.
They are also charged with terrorism and aggravated robbery of Kaweesi’s pistol and Erau’s sub machine gun.
According to the DPP, Mbaziira who was the first person to be arrested allegedly revealed that he was involved in the planning and assassination of Kaweesi before revealing his accomplices who were also picked up from various places.
The State alleges that Mbaziira told them that Allied Democratic Forces-ADF a rebel group was behind the trio’s assassination.
It is also alleged that Mbaziira told them that ADF planned to kill several top government officials whereas Kyambadde was assigned a role of investigating Kaweesi’s home.
Mbaziira was later arrested and his accomplices picked near the DRC border with Uganda from where it is alleged that when a search was conducted from their respective homes and workplaces, they found computers with images of forged National Identification cards.
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