Former Central Police Station Commander (CPS DPC) Aaron Baguma was charged after months of speculation over summons against him to answer murder charges.
Baguma turned up yesterday at Buganda Road Court in company of his lawyer Abraham Mpumwire and was charged with three charges of murder, aggravated robbery and kidnap with intent to murder which his other eight co-accused were earlier charged with. He appeared before Buganda Road Court Grade I Magistrate Joan Aciro and denied the charges.
“We apply that the accused be remanded to Kigo government prison instead of Luzira prison for security reasons,” Mpumwire submitted.
The Magistrate granted the order since the State Prosecutor did not object. It is said that since his co-accused like key suspect, tycoon Mohammad Ssebuwufu and other suspects whom he arrested over the same murder, are in Luzira prison they could harm him.
Magistrate Aciro remanded him till today Thursday September 1, 2016 when he will be returning together with other four suspects in this matter to be informed about the stage at which investigations have reached.
“He has never been served with any summons or arrest warrant to this day but he just turned himself in after reading from newspapers that he was wanted by court,” Mpumwire said.
Baguma, ssebuwufu together with Shaban Oduttu a former bodyguard to tycoon Ssebuwufu, Godfrey Kayiza alias Godi, Phillip Mirembe, Stephen Lwanga, Paul Tasingika, Yoweri Kitayimba and Damaseni Ssentongo are accused of having murdered Dorna Betty Katushabe.
They allegedly committed the offence at Ssebuwufu’s Car Bond at Pine along Lumumba Avenue. It is alleged that while Katushabe was being beaten by Ssebuwufu and his agents, someone tipped police and Baguma who is the Division Police Commander of the neighboring CPS visited the scene.
It is said when Baguma found her being beaten, the deceased pleaded with him to rescue her from the beating but he just shrugged her off and left. Moments later she died as a result of wounds inflicted upon her through the beating.
Other sources however say Baguma is a victim of mistaken identity and intrigue in police as he was not at the station on that day and it was the OC station.
It is said he was a whistleblower and a number of police officers who had allegedly received bribes from Ssebuwufu to cover up the murder were reprimanded by the police administration.
Already Katushabe's father Alex Masereka Epafula has written to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) beseeching him to drop the charges against Baguma because he is the one who helped them in identifying the suspects to this murder and also arresting them.
Photo: YouTube.