Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda’s military court on Monday jailed a 43-year-old man for 41years for the murder of Sheikh Masuud Mutumba, a Muslim cleric in Bugiri District.
The Makindye based General Court Martial, chaired by Brig Gen Freeman Mugabe, sentenced Biasaali Mugoya after he pleaded guilty to the offence.
“This court after listening to the submissions of both counsel for the state and convict on past record and mitigation respectively, has deliberated on this case and finds that the maximum sentence for this offense is death, that the convict pleaded guilty, he is a family man and has spent three years, seven months and 15 days on remand; the sentence of 45 years imprisonment is appropriate,” Gen Mugabe ruled.
However, upon considering and deducting a period of three years, seven months and 15 days of remand, the court ruled that Mugoya will spend 41 years and 15 days in prison.
Gen Mugabe said that Mugoya, in custody since February 2020, has a right to appeal against the punishment within 14 days from the date of judgment.
In September 2023, Mugoya confessed to committing the murder offense for which he was jointly charged with seven other people in March 2020.
However, Mugoya a former supervisor at SGA Uganda Limited and resident of Lubowa in Wakiso District, first denied any wrong doing.
Sheikh Mutumba was gunned down on February 15,2020 at his home in Busimba Village, Luwemba Sub-County in Bugiri District. He was killed just after he had led Juma prayers at Masjid Noor in Lwemba, in the same district.
Meanwhile, those still in custody are James Mugoya Balidhusa (Local defence Unit member in Buikwe District), Amos Kojja (resident of Lwemba Village), Sulaiman Konta (resident of Busimba Zone), Charles Mwanda (from Lwemba Village), John Mary Jagenda (special hire driver and resident of Lubowa), Asharaf Mugoya (resident of Musimba Village) and Alex Mugiya alias Waiswa (security guard with Harsh security from Bukedea District)
Prosecution case
Prosecution said on February 14, 2020 at Lwemba Trading Centre in Bugiri, eight men and others still at large murdered Sheikh Mutumba using a gun, which is ordinarily the monopoly of the defence forces.
Monday’s convict was arrested by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) after a revelation by a 10-year-old witness who narrated the events preceding the murder of sheikh Mutumba.
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