The 7 police officers who were arrested and charged with the kidnap of 2 Rwandese nationals have been taken back on remand after the General Court Martial failed to rule on their bail application.
The 7 member court chaired by Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti had convened to hear the bail applications of; SPC Joel Aguma, SSP Nixon Agasirwe Karuhanga, D/ASP James Magada, D/AIP Benon Atwebembeirwe, D/Sgt Abel Tumukunde, SPC Faisal Katende and D/CPL Amon Kwarisima but state prosecutor Maj. Raphael Mugisha said he could not ably respond to them and asked the court for more 2 weeks within which to make his response.
Nixon Agasirwe Karuhanga; the former commander of police's Special Operations Unit who presented his bail application first, asked the court to be lenient and release him on bail because he is a single parent whose children and dependants are suffering due to his imprisonment.
In a bid to prove to the court that they have fixed places of residence and that they will not abscond, the suspects presented letters from their LC officials, passports and National I'Ds.
The suspects' bail applications were presented to court by their 3 lawyers Frank Kanduho, Caleb Alaka and Evans Ochieng
They also presented to court sureties who included their police comrades, relatives and friends.
Among the surities is AIGP Richard Ndahura; the crime intelligence director ; Commissioner of police Fortunate Habyara ; the police's Human Resorce directorate , SSP Andrew Kaggwa attached to the Field Force Unit at Naguru and Rt. Commissioner of police Laban Muhabwe.
The officers have further called upon court to treat them as first offenders with no known criminal records and to presume them innocent until they are proved guilty by court .
However, Maj. Rapheal Mugisha told the court that Chieftaincy of military intelligence is in advanced stages of its investigations against the said police officers and that by January 15th/2018, the case will be fixed for hearing . Consequently, the court granted his request up to the 18th/ December and sent the suspects back on remand until then.
The 7 police officers are charged alongside 2 civilians ; Rene Rutangugira and Bahati Mugenga for the Kidnap of Joel Mutabazi and Jackson Kaleemera on the 25th/October 2013 at Kamengo in Mpigi district.
According to prosecution the accused while in posession of a pistol and grenades which are ordinarily a monopoly of the UPDF conveyed two Rwandan refugees Lt Mutabazi and Kaleemera to the Republic of Rwanda without their consent.