By Juliet Kigongo
Kidnappers of Susan Magara injected her with an overdose of the surgical anesthetic drug ketamine on her chest, leading to her instant death, a witness told the High Court in Kampala.
Mr Frank Nyakairu, a chief investigator attached to Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CIM), made the revelation while detailing to court presided over by Justice Alex Ajiji on the roles each of the nine accused persons allegedly played in the murder of Magara.
“Abbasi Buwembo injected Magara with Ketamine, a pain killer. It busted her heart and she died of suffocation. This is because it must be administered slowly but Buwembo injected her with an overdose,” Mr Nyakairu explained to court.
Ketamine hydrochloride, is an injectable medication that is given for surgical anesthesia. The witness further said the drug suffocated Magara, leading to the bursting of her heart and her eventual death. Court further heard that Yakub Byensi, a suspect who is still at large, masterminded the whole mission together with Hakim Lugolobi, who allegedly secured mobile lines that were used in the deadly mission.
The witness said the two suspects fled to Katosi in Mukono District, where they had allegedly bought a big chunk of land using the ransom money handed to them.
The witness alleged that the role of Hajara Nakandi,another suspect,was to guard Magara. She allegedly cut off Magara’s two fingers that were sent to her family in a parcel before using her car to transport and dump her body at Kitiko Birongo, along the Kampala Southern Bypass.
Mr Nyakairu also told court that other suspects were mainly sent to spy and follow Magara’s family members during the period when Byensi was asking for the ransom.
Justice Ajiji adjourned the case to next week on Tuesday for further hearing.
