By Gloria Nakiyimba
Seven senior police officers have been charged with kidnap of two Rwandese Nationals and being in possession of firearms and grenades. Former commander of police special operations Nickson Agasirwe, Head of law enforcement professional standards unit Joel Aguma, commander of flying squad Abel Tumukunde, Kampala metropolitan police ASP James Magada, Amon Kwarisima, Benon Atwebembeire and Faisal Katende are charged with kidnapping Joel Mutabazi and Jackson Kalemeera .
They are jointly charged with two Rwandese nationals; Rene Rutangugira and Bahati Mugenga Pacifique.
They appeared before a panel of seven members of the general military court martial chaired by Lt. General Andrew Gutii but refused to take plea to the charge.
Their lawyer Caleb Alaka is objecting to the charges and the jurisdiction of the General Court Martial.
Alaka is contending that his clients cannot take plea on a defective charge sheet
Prosecution led by Maj. Rapheal Mugisha states that while the accused were in unlawful possession of firearms and grenades which are a preserve of only the UPDF, conveyed Mutabazi to Rwanda without his onsent .
They committed the offense on the 25th October 2013 at Kamengo in Mpigi district.
The three senior police officer have been remanded to Makindye mitary cells while the other six suspects have been remanded to Luzira prison until the 20th of November 2017