The trial of five suspects accused of aggravated robbery and murder of a mobile money agent resumed on Tuesday, November 18 at the General Court Martial, Makindye with the girlfriend of one of the accused saying she was given Shs1m after purchasing a sim card.
Security agencies in June arrested five people including three former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers -Pte Bob Anichan, Pte Dennis Mangusho, L/Cpl Edward Mubale, Stanley Mulunda and boda-boda rider Issa Ntale for the murder of Zzana businesswoman and mobile money dealer Harriet Nalwadda and her employee Maureen Nakabubi on June 10.
They are also accused of robbing Nalwadda of Shs6.8m, using two submachine guns (SMG) that they illegally possessed.
Anichan had just been released from prison after serving a 14-year-jail term having been dismissed from the UPDF having been convicted of a series of robbery with Mungusho.
On Tuesday before Gen. Andrew Gutti, Bintah Ssengoba, Malunda’s girlfriend said she had offered shelter to the suspects.
According to court documents, Mulumba is a casual labourer who met Ssengoba, a cashier at Shoprite, Clock Tower through Ntale.
She narrated that once, Malunda asked her to help him purchase a simcard in her name because he had no ID since he had been in jail over a loan he had failed to pay.
Her reward was Shs1m that he gave her upon purchase of the sim card which he claimed he had obtained it from one of his uncles.
“This was after Mulunda had returned with his friends (now co accused) from Kasese where they had spent some days without Ssengoba seeing them,” the 23-year-old narrated.
A few days later, she watched news on TV that her boyfriend had been arrested although his friends told her that it was just a set up by Police.
“At first, I thought Police was setting up my boyfriend because of his money and property. But later, I learnt that they had robbed my immediate neighbor Mwesigwa Kigongo Denis who operated a mobile shop in Kisenyi of Shs400,000”, she said.
The group were also charged with the murder of Edward Walugembe of Church Zone in Nateete.
Hearing will continue on November, 26th , 2019.
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