By Alice K.
Mountain Division Court Martial sitting at Muhoti Barracks in Fort Portal City has sentenced Private Lotukei Paul attached to Bukara Army Detach 06 Mountain to 90 years imprisonment after proving him guilty of two contrary of murder contrary to sub section 188 and 189 of the panel cord act chapter 120.
Court hard that on 30th October 2020 at around 08:00pm Private Lotukei aged 36 with malice, unlawfully and intentionally shot and killed Nayebale Pamela aged 26 and her infant son Kusemererwa Owen aged 9month after developing an argument with the latter over a mobile phone in a bar,Kitumba village Nyakigumba Town Council Bunyangabu District.
While passing the sentence, court chairman Lt Col Felix Nyero said that basing on the gravity of the offence committed and the evidence produced by prosecution, the sentence is appropriate and this should serve as a lesson to others saying that UPDF is the people’s army that has zero tolerance to criminality.
Despite the accused pledging not guilty to the offence, prosecution guided by Mountain division legal officer and judge advocate Capt. Ivan Nabireeba produced all evidence to prove the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt and basing on that, the state lawyer Lt. Gabriel Mavenjina asked the court to give a maximum sentence to the accused.
Defense Lawyer Lt George Kabanda requested court for a lenient sentence to his client since he is a first offender and that he has a big family of 5 wives and 18 children and it was not his intention to kill because he was proved when he was under the influence of alcohol.
Court chairman advised the convict to appeal against the ruling within 14 days in case he is not satisfied with the judgment.
