Africa-Press – Uganda. Renowned rally driver Ponsiano Lwakataka will spend the next year and two months in Kauga prison in Mukono District after he was found guilty of trespass and malicious damage to property by Mukono Chief Magistrates Court.
Prosecution led by Johnathan Muwaganya contended that on December 22, 2018, in Kiwanga Village, Lwakataka demolished a house of a 74-year-old man called George William Kawooya before he went into hiding.
Lwakataka, 42, committed the crime alongside six accomplices who are still on the run.
Prosecution indicates that the group used harmers and axes to demolish Mr Kawooya’s house on a disputed piece of land.
During the litigation process, the prosecution told the court presided over by Grade One Magistrate Patience Koburunga that the rally driver was not remorseful.
Mr Muwaganya further stated that Lwakataka should go to prison and serve his sentence so that he can reform.
“He takes pride in committing crimes,” Mr Muwaganya told the court.
In her ruling, Ms Koburunga said the seven prosecution witnesses squarely linked Lwakataka to the crime scene, hence finding him culpable.
She condemned Lwakataka for violating the bail terms and going into hiding when he was released temporarily.
The magistrate considered the time Lwakataka had spent on remand [four months] and deducted the same.
Damaging fence
In a related development, the same court found Lwakataka guilty of damaging a barbed wire fence belonging to Ms Josline Namanya.
He was sentenced to four months in prison. The two sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will spend 14 months in jail.
Prosecution said Lwakataka, a resident of Elisa Zone, Kyebando-Kawempe Division in Kampala, alongside John Ssekitoleko, a businessman and a resident of Lubanga, on January 12, 2019 at Kiwanga-Lwanda Village, Goma Division in Mukono District, willfully and unlawfully damaged barbed wire fence, the property of Ms Namanya.
After the court session, Lwakataka said he was not happy with the judgment and that he would appeal the ruling.
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