By Nelly Otto
Former Jinja Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Eric Joseph Sakwa now has reasons to smile again after court acquitting him of the manslaughter, robbery and malicious damage counts slapped against him.
Sakwa was brutally arrested from the NBS FM studio in an operation supervised by the then Kira RPC Paul Nkore on 24 April, 2020 and produced in the court together with a one Simba Mohammed alias Meddie who were jointly charged with murder (later reduced to manslaughter), robbery and malicious damage.
He was accused of beating Fred Isanga, a resident of Lwanda Village, along the Jinja-Kamuli road who died after 26 days, sparking concerns from conspirators whom the RDC had annoyed.
He was later interdicted and attempts to challenge the action by his former boss Hajji Yunus Kakande ended in tears as court said it was the right thing to do in accordance with the Public Service Standing Orders.
The offences of assault and others were allegedly committed on 23 March, 2020 leading to Isanga’s death weeks later.
Murder is contrary to section 189(1) (2), robbery is contrary to section 285 and 286(1) and malicious damage to property section 335(11) of the penal Code Act Cap 120.
The offences were allegedly committed during the first lock down to avert the COVID-19 pandemic that had hit the world so the RDC was reportedly implementing the SOPs put in place by the Ministry of Health.
He was on the same day remanded at first to Busesa in Bugweri district before he was quickly taken to Kirinya Prison on allegation that he tortured Fred Isanga.
Court sitting today Tuesday 11 October, 2022 in Jinja presided over by the Chief Magistrate HW Jude Okumu Muwone said prosecution failed to adduce sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.
Okumu notes that even the 11 witnesses including two widows of the deceased gave contradictory statements and that none of them stated with certainty that Sakwa could have led to the death of Isanga.
Some witnesses said Sakwa stormed the house and beat Isanga using a solid wire while others said he stood five meters away from the house and that the incident happened between 4:00-5:00pm.
The medical officer(pathologist) attached to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital who did the autopsy, Dr Ssenyonjo Kakumba, in a report stated that there were no external injuries on the body of the deceased.
“…in the circumstances, I find the accused persons have no case to answer…, I accordingly acquit them and set them free…’, reads part of the six page ruling delivered today.
Summarily, the Chief Magistrate said the court found that no prima facie case has been made out requiring the accused to be put on their defense on the three counts.
“…I find the accused A1(Eric Joseph Sakwa) and A2( Simba Mohammed alias Meddie)not guilty and hereby acquit them of the offences of Manslaughter, Robbery and Malicious Damage to Property, they are set free unless they are lawfully held on other charges…”,Jude Okumu Muwone concluded and appended his signature.
The lonely pencil size Sakwa who was in black suit smiled from ear to ear but there was no more crowd that chanted during the early days of the court.
This now puts to rest the cobweb that had clogged his job channels, implying the talkative and media maniac from Elgon Region can be deployed somewhere as an RDC, should this news reach the attention of the appointing authority.
Sakwa has welcomed the court ruling saying justice has been done since some of his haters maliciously dragged him to the courts of law over his fight against corruption and land grabbing.
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