By Nasser/The Homeland News AGENCY
City car dealer Muhammad Ssebuwufu is battling murder, kidnap and aggravated robbery charges, alongside other co-accused.
Ssebuwufu (pictured) and seven others are accused of beating to death a businesswoman in Kampala in 2015. (File photo)
Pressure
mounts high among the car traders at pine car yard as the
High Court in Kampala is expected to deliver its verdict in the murder case
against city car dealer Muhammad Ssebuwufu today.
Haji.Muhammad Ssebuwufu and seven others are accused of beating to death
businesswoman Betty Donah Katusabe in 2015 over a sh9m car debt.
High Court Judge Flavia Anglin Ssenoga was supposed to deliver the verdict on
May 29 but pushed it to today (June 17), saying it was not yet ready at the
time.
The late (Katusabe) was allegedly tortured to death by the accused on October
21, 2015 at Pine Car Bond on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala.
the records at Court indicate that Katusabe bought a Toyota Premio of
registration number UAX 481H from Ssebuwufu at sh17m and remitted sh8m, thereby
remaining with a balance of sh9m debt which is said to have caused her murder
at the time she had come to clear the debt.
Haji.Ssebuwufu (Pine) as he popularly known is battling murder, kidnap and aggravated
robbery charges alongside Paul Tasingika, Shaban Odutu alias Golola, Philip
Mirambe, Kayiza Godfrey, Stephen Lwanga, Yoweri Kitayimbwa and Damaseni
Ssentongo.
Each of the three charges against the accused attracts a maximum sentence of
death upon conviction by the court.
Initially, they were battling the charges together with former Kampala Central
Police Station commander, Aaron Baguma, but Director of Public Prosecutions
(DPP) justice Mike Chibita dropped the charges against him (Baguma) at the
commencement of the trial last year without advancing any reason to that
effect.
On April 29, Court assessors lead by Rehema Babirye, Betty Bogere and Joseph
Wasibi advised the judge to acquit all the accused persons on grounds that
prosecution had failed to prove the charges against them beyond reasonable
doubt.
For clarity purposes a court assessor is a lay person (not a lawyer) who is
appointed by court to sit and listen to criminal cases at High Court level and
advise a trial judge on whether to convict or acquit an accused person basing
on evidence submitted in court by the prosecution.
However, an assessor’s opinion is not legally binding on the decision or
determination of the case by any presiding judge. One would choose to adopt its
findings and recommendations thereof or disregard them.
The prosecution led by Assistant DPP Alex Micheal Ojok produced in court 26
witnesses to pin the accused.
However Haji.Ssebuwufu contends that although he sold the car to the victim
with an outstanding balance, he had already secured it through a cheque and
that had no reason to hunt for her. May be her death was caused by other issues
though it happened at our Yard.Sebuwufu adduces in the evidence presented to
the court.
The charge
Prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large kidnapped
Katusabe before beating her to death over a sh9m debt.
They are also accused of robbing the deceased of her cell phone worth sh300,
000.
Co-accused Tasingika says that he was
hired by Sam Kiwanuka to pick Katusabe from Bwebajja in the company of police
officers over a Toyota Prado.
Three state witnesses have testified against Pine Car Bond owner, Muhammad Ssebuwufu over alleged murder of Donah Betty Katusabe.
