Court Martial schedule March 28 to hear case against rebel suspects

By Rachael Najjuma

28^th Feb 2022

The Court Martial Makindye has this Monday fixed the date for the hearing of a matter where 15 members of the new rebel group-Uganda Coalition Forces of Change (UCFC) are battling charges related to rebel activities.

After prosecution led by Lt Colonel Raphael Mugisha revealing to court that investigations in the matter were done save for those of the few people who haven’t been arrested the chairman Lt. General Andrew Gutti set the 28th March 2022 as the hearing date in the matter.

The group led by Stuart Lugendo Savio which is accused of attacking several police posts in Kassanda and Mityana killing four police officers and one Local Defence Unit personnel and robbing their guns is charged with three counts namely treachery, aggravated robbery and murder.

Prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large between November and December 2021 in diverse places in Mityana, Kiboga and Wakiso districts as agents of Uganda National Coalition Forces for Change, a force engaging in war-like activities against the government of Uganda recruited people and attacked security posts for purposes prejudicial to the security of Uganda.

The group was also charged with unlawful possession of two hand grenades which are ammunitions and a monopoly of the defence forces but they all denied the charges.

Meanwhile the same court has today sentenced two people to 33 years in jail for aggravated robbery.

The duo that includes Private Sam Omeno and Esia Nathan were last week convicted for aggravated robbery upon their own plea of guilty.

The group is accused of having robbed Deo Opedes of 750,000 shillings on October 17th 2021 at Manga village in Manga Parish in Kamuge Sub County in Bukedea District.

According to the State, the accused used a gun AK-47 registration number UG-UPDF AK 575363 which is ordinarily a monopoly of the defense forces to execute their mission.