| The General Court Martial has found the patron of Boda-boda 2010 Hajji Abdullah Kitatta guilty of being in possession of a firearm without a valid license. The 7 member Court chaired by LT. Gen Andrew Gutti has unanimously ruled that evidence from the only the 4 prosecution witnesses was satisfactory enough to prove the charges against Kitatta and his bodyguard Sowali Ngobi. Among the guns that Kitatta unlawfully possessed were; the famous gold pistol, an SMG rifle, and 35 ammunition. However, the same court has acquitted 8 of Kitatta’s co-accused who have been facing only one count of unlawful possession of Military uniforms and caps saying prosecution adduced no adequate evidence to warrant. conviction. These have been set free by court after 15 months on remand at Luzira prison. The court has gone ahead to also acquit Hajji Kitatta of the offense of unlawful possession of Military attires and a Pistol that the Uganda Police lawfully issued to his body Guard Sowali Ngobi to discharge his professional duties. In doing so, the Court has relied on the testimony given by jailed former police special investigations commandant Nixon Agasirwe who testified that he ordered for the issuance of the said Pistol to Ngobi but not an SMG rifle. After the duo’s conviction, the lead prosecutor Maj. Raphael Mugisha has asked the court to hand Kitatta and Ngobi a maximum sentence of the years to act as a deterrent for other would be offenders of this prevalent offense. |
however defence lawyer Shaban Sanywa prays for leniency and a non -custodial sentence saying his clients are victims of circumstances because the person who issued them with the contentious guns never gave them certificates, says they are family men and sole breadwinner of their young families and school going children and responsible people in society Kitatta being an NRM chair of Lubaga division.
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