The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
High Court judge Wilson Masalu Musene will rule Thursday on the bail application by jailed former Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) commander Aron Baguma.
Baguma is currently held on remand at Kigo Government Prison for allegedly conspiring with eight other people to kidnap murder and rob businesswoman Donah Betty Katushabe at Pine Car Bond on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala in October 2015.
Baguma applied to be tried while coming from home. His other grounds for bail were ill-health, specifically acute stomach ulcers which he says requires a special diet that is not provided in prison.
He presented head of traffic police Dr Steven Kasiima and his uncles, Robert Kato a senior accountant in the Defence Ministry and Emmanuel Muhanguzi a businessman, as his sureties.
However the DPP through his Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya opposed Baguma’s release on bail and asked court to dismiss his application on grounds that it’s incompetent and filed prematurely.
Muwaganya explained that the application was filed on August 23 yet Baguma appeared before Buganda Road court on August 30, 2016 to answer charges of murdering businesswoman Donah Katushabe.
He argued that being an accused person he could not apply for bail before being charged and remanded, which means that all pleaded in his application are not facts but speculation.
State prosecutor Muwanganya also watered down Baguma’s grounds that he should be granted bail because he is a law abiding citizen, saying for a period of nine months, he turned a deaf ear and remained in his office at Central Police Station as DPC, yet DPP had already recommended for his prosecution.
Baguma was represented today by three lawyers led by Abraham Ampumwire, who informed court that the former Kampala CPS DPC should be allowed to enjoy presumption of innocence until court proves him guilty.
RELATED STORY
They argued that he is a law abiding officer who even voluntarily surrendered himself before Buganda Road Court.
The lawyers argued that Baguma being a serving police officer, should not be incarcerated with criminals on remand that he once apprehended.
Mpumwire added that his client being a police officer and having taken an oath of allegiance, is under the control of the state and therefore can not abscond.
He further submitted that on top of Baguma having a fixed place of residence in Naalya within Wakiso district, he also has substantial sureties who will ensure that he returns to court whenever he is required
to do so.
