URN.Immediately after taking oath, the new chairman went on to hear cases of Corporal Richard Kiirya with Sergeant Joseph Kapasi who are facing murder charges, and of Lance Corporal Julius Busobozi who is charged with failure to protect war materials.
The General Court Martial in Makindye has today resumed business after two months without hearing any cases, which delayed justice for hundreds of accused persons facing trial there.
The Court, whose business had stalled with 300 pending cases, resumed immediately after the new Chairperson Brigadier General Freeman Robert Mugabe took the oath.
Mugabe who replaced Lt General Andrew Gutti whose term of office ended on June 9th 2022 has been sworn in before the Court Martial Judge Advocate Col Richard Tukacungurwa together with 17 other members.
Immediately after taking oath, he went on to hear cases including that of Corporal Richard Kiirya, Sargent Joseph Kapasi who are facing murder charges, Lance Corporal Julius Busobozi charged with failure to protect war materials, Sargent Omilo Malinga and Gerald Abaasa who are accused of illegal possession of defense stores. Prosecution was asked to inform Court on the progress of the investigations in each case.
In the said cases ,the Prosecutors led by Lt Lasto Mukhwana and Lt Col Raphael Mugisha said investigations were still ongoing while in some cases they were ready to start trial but since none of the accused persons had lawyers, court couldn’t proceed to try them.
The Judge Advocate Tukacungurwa then guided the Chair to adjourn the cases to the various dates as asked by the Prosecutors which he did.
The Chairperman has also canceled the bail given to one of the accused persons Gerald Abaasa who was a Bus Guide in Kampala on grounds that he absconded from trial.
The cancellation of Abaasa’s bail came after Lt Col Mugisha, the Prosecutor, informed Court that Abaasa was given bail by former Court Martial Chairperson Lt General Gutti but he jumped it.
The Court has heard that during the time he skipped bail, Abaasa went on to commit other offenses and he is currently detained at the Special Investigations Department of Police in Kireka on the crimes which they are yet to charge him with officially.
Uganda Radio Network has learnt that Abaasa who was arraigned in Court Martial on September 30th 2021 after having transferred his file from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence CMI-Unit Disciplinary Committee was charged with four others on charges of illegal possession of military stores and specifically being in possession of two digital camouflage uniforms and plain uniforms.
He is jointly charged with Edward Mugabe, a security Monitoring Operative, Gabriel Tinka, a Manager of Kasamba Bus on Hoima Road and Happy Mansur an Assistant Manager Link Bus Kampala Branch.
But according to sources, Abaasa after being granted bail went and used the documents given to him from Court Martial, removed the words in the body to stay with a genuine logo of the UPDF and it’s that which he allegedly used to commit new crimes related to extorting money from unsuspecting people, assuring them that they were to benefit from several army activities.
Chairman Mugabe has accordingly canceled Abaasa’s bail and adjourned the Court to August 8th 2022.
Although business has resumed today, apart from media and Court officials who have taken oath, there were no other people who normally come to follow cases of their relatives.
