The Jinja court’s grade one magistrate, Ronald Nsobya on Friday granted a cash bail to three policemen, who were earlier the same day charged with neglect of duty contrary to section 44, code 19(a) and 28 of police Cap 303.
The accused persons who are all police constables by rank namely: Eria Kagoda of force number 60782, Simon Opio, force number 53798 and Samiru Nfunyeku, force number 67102.
It is alleged that the accused persons and unspecified number of others still being investigated by detectives at Kiira regional police headquarters, conspired to foster the illegal release of 17 suspects and later informed their superiors on how the same had forcefully fled from the cells.
The three are accused of failure to report for duty on time, which facilitated the breakout of suspects from Jinja CPS cells last week.
“On 19th, December, 2021, at CPS Jinja in Jinja city, the accused persons without good and sufficient cause, omitted to promptly and diligently attend to their duty as police officers, as per the program of Jinja central police station,” reads their joint charge sheet in part.
The accused persons denied knowledge of the charges being lavelled against them and prayed to be released on bail on two grounds, majorly that bail was their constitutional right and that each one of them possessed a good moral track record throughout their time of service.
Nsobya granted each of the accused persons, a cash bail of 150,000 Shillings, whereas each of their six sureties paid a cash bond of 500,000 Shillings.
Nsobya stressed that the case will be fixed for hearing early next year.
