Hearing of a 2018 murder case against nine suspects accused of kidnap and murder of Hoima’s businessman Kato Magara’s daughter, Susan Magara, has stalled today (Thursday), August 17, 2023, before the High Court in Kampala due to lack of operational funds.
Court presided over by Justice Alex Mackay Ajiji has pushed the hearing of the case to October 16, 2023, with hopes that by then, funds will be available for a special criminal session to be convened.
State prosecutor, Ms Irene Nakibungwe, informed court that the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) is not ready to present its witnesses because they, too, need money to facilitate the witnesses.
Justice Ajiji says funds are needed to secure at least five defence state-paid attorneys to beef up the number of assessors.
The suspects including Yusuf Lubega, Hussein Wasswa, Muzamir Sali, Abubakar Kyewolya, Muhammad Kisalita, Hassan Kato Miro, Ismail Bukenya and Musa Abasi Buvumbo have since denied the charges.
Prosecution states that on February 7, 2018, the accused persons with an intention to procure a ransom kidnapped Susan Magara.
That after receiving 200, 000 US Dollars (about Shs700m) from her family, they went ahead and murdered Susan on February 27, 2018, at Kigo in Wakiso district. Her body was found in Kitiko in Kigo.
Evidence in the charge sheet indicates that in January 2018, the nine suspects with others still at large, met at Usafi Mosque and conjured up a plan of getting themselves out of poverty.
Their plan allegedly involved kidnapping rich people or their family members for ransom.
The suspects, according to prosecution, started trailing Susan Magara until they kidnapped her at Lungujja on her way home.
Further evidence shows that the accused took their victim to Amir Bukenya’s home in Konge II Makindye from where they cut off her two fingers that they sent to her family to show their determination to murder their daughter if they do not pay the ransom.
After receiving the Shs700m, they allegedly went ahead to suffocate Susan Magara with a polythene bag for fear that she could identify them to authorities given the time she had spent in captivity.
