The General Court Martial has dismissed the case against seven senior police officers who had been charged alongside former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gen Kale Kayihura, with aiding and abetting kidnap of Rwandan refugees and failing to protect war materials.
In a twist of events, on August 30, 2023, the state decided to withdraw charges against Gen Kayihura and left his juniors to battle without any single witness presented by the prosecution.
The withdrawal letter dated March 5, 2024, has been signed by the Army Director of Prosecutions Lt. Col Rapheal Mugisha who did not explain why the charges have been withdrawn.
Prosecution had alleged that on October, 25, 2013, at Kamengo in Mpigi District, the 7 police officers conspired with their former boss Kale Kayihura to kidnap three Rwandan refugees; Joel Mutabazi, Jackson Kaleemera and Innocent Kaliisa and conveyed them to their country against their will.
The eight police officers were also charged with unlawfully allowing the issuance of guns to the then Boda Boda 2010 leader Abudallah Kitatta; who was unauthorized to own millitary possessions.
In addition, the officers along with Kayihura were accused of failing to account for guns issued to specialised police units such as the Flying Squard , Special Operations Unit, Witness Protection Unit and the crime intelligence directorate unit of police.
For the 2 offences , the senior police officers were jailed for several months at the millitary police barracks in Makindye before being released on bail.
Me Kitatta and his bodyguard, Detective Constable Sowali Ngobi were later in May 2019 also charged, convicted and sentenced to 8 years in prison for being in illegal possession of firearms ammunitions by the then court’s chairman Lt Gen Andrew Gutti.
The duo’s sentence was later reduced on appeal and too set free.
