Policemen who were called to foil the alleged assassination of information and communications technology state minister Idah Eriosi Nantaba face murder charges for killing the suspect in cold blood, Ugandanz has learnt.
The Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola, yesterday ordered the Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commander, Moses Kafeero, to arrest the ‘999’ crew officers linked to the shooting. KMP comprises all Police posts/ stations in the districts of Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono.
On Sunday, Police officers gunned down one of the two men who allegedly trailed Nantaba, causing suspicion that they wanted to assassinate her as she travelled from her home in Kayunga to Kampala.
The suspect was later identified as Ronald Ssebulime, a resident of Nakabugo in Wakiso district. Nantaba was in the company of her bodyguard, identified as Tugume, attached to the Special Forces Command (SFC).
According to residents of Nagojje, Ssebulime was first hand-cuffed before being executed extra-judicially. Residents say one of the Police officers received a telephone call and later, the hand-cuffed Ssebulime was taken off the Police patrol vehicle, put aside and shot.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga yesterday confirmed the arrest of the implicated officers, identified as Corporal number; 51543 David Ssali, 50162 Ronald Opira, 5729 Geoffrey Bagonza and Police constable 62163 Robert Cherotich.
Enanga said Ssali, the patrol pick-up number UP 5745 commander,
“Picked Ssebulime from the pick-up and shot him twice, killing him instantly.”
The postmortem report says Ssebulime’s death was due to hemorrhage following gunshot wounds. Enanga said the officer were arrested for submitting false reports of what transpired when the suspects were intercepted at Nagojje trading Centre last Sunday after they responded to a complaint of a threat by the minister.