CHARGED: UPDF Officer Handed 90 Years For Murder

By ROBERT KAMUKAMA

FORT PORTAL, Uganda|SHIFTEMEDIA| A UPDF officer who murdered two civilians has been sentenced to 90 years in jail.

Pte Lotukei Paul was accused of murdering with malice Pamela Nayebale and her son Owen Kusemererewa on October 30 2020. The incident after a short brawl in a bar located in Ktumba village in Bunyangabu District.

Lotukei, aged 36 was attached to the Bukara army detach, 6 Mountain Battalion 222 Mountain Brigade.

The Mountain Division Court Martial sitting at Muhoti barracks in Fort Portal has sentenced Pte Lotukei Paul attached to 90 years after evidenced gathered found him guilty.
The court proved Lotukei guilty of two counts of murder contrary to subsection 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act chapter 120.

While passing the sentence, the court Chairman Lt Col Felix Nyero said, “basing on the gravity of the offence committed and the evidence produced by the prosecution, the sentence is appropriate and this should serve as a lesson to others, UPDF is the people’s army that has zero tolerance to criminality.”

Despite the accused pleading not guilty to the offence, prosecution guided by Mountain Division legal officer and judge advocate Capt Ivan Nabireeba produced evidence to prove the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Basing on the evidence, the state lawyer  Lt Gabriel U Mavenjina asked the court to give a maximum sentence to the accused.

Defence lawyer Lt George W Kabanda requested the court for a lenient sentence to his client since he is a first offender and that he has a big family of five wives and 18 children. He also argued that it was not his intention to kill because he was provoked while under the influence of alcohol.

The Court Chairman advised the convict to appeal against the ruling within 14 days in case he is not satisfied with the judgement.