Septic Tank Murder: Body was fastened to loaded sack

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The body of Immaculate Onebe Mary Aiso had a sack loaded with blocks wired to her chest when it was recovered from a septic tank, the High Court heard on Monday. Those being tried in connection to the murder are the deceased’s husband, senior accountant Francis Onebe, and their security guard, Bonny Oriekot. The incident occurred at the couple’s matrimonial home in Muyenga, Makindye division, and the accused were arrested in September 2021.

During the proceedings on Monday, Chief State Attorney Joseph Kyomuhendo presented Detective Constable Jacob Okello as the fourth witness. Okello, who was the investigating officer in the case, testified that he was assigned to investigate the case of a missing person on August 31, 2021. He held meetings with officers from Kabalagala police station, where the case was initially reported by Onebe in January 2021. Police gathered statements from Onebe and his security guard, and it was decided to expand the investigation and search the couple’s residence.

Okello, along with other police officers, a local council member, and Onebe himself, visited the home in Lower Mawanga Zone, Munyonyo, Makindye Division. During the visit, they noticed wood and iron sheets that had been dumped in the compound. Okello commented on how neatly the items were piled, suggesting that it was not the work of a stranger. “The person who piled them took time, and cannot be a stranger,” he told the court.

Onebe explained that the items had been recovered from a different building and stored there approximately three years prior. Upon further examination, the officers discovered that the items were placed on top of a two-manhole septic tank, with only one hole covered. Okello and his colleague, Detective ASP Robert Ochom, peeped into the open hole and observed a floating object resembling a human body. They proceeded to remove the items covering the septic tank, and the police fire brigade was called to assist in recovering the body.

“But on reaching the surface, the body was clearly seen as that of a female adult and it had what was told to be called braids…it still had the underwear. But what made it tricky is that the body had something attached to it. It  object was wrapped in a nylon sack and tied around the chest,” Okello told the court. He says, that he later learned from the scene of crime officers that the sack had baked clay blocks.

Onebe confirmed that the body belonged to his wife when asked by the police. The police then conducted a search inside the house and discovered a pile of papers and a notebook from 2020 in the bedroom. Another notebook was provided by Aiso’s daughter, Ivy Inapo.

Among the papers, a letter by Agnes Akello, Onebe’s ex-wife, was found. The letter, dated June 16, 2000, detailed mistreatment by Onebe, leading to Akello leaving the marriage. Onebe had made a comment on the letter, stating that he found it in a drawer on June 17, 2000, after Akello had left home. Additionally, a 2020 diary belonging to Immaculate Aiso was found, documenting the disagreements she had with Onebe and his apparent sympathy towards her workmates, with whom she had strained relationships.

“So we agreed that we shall follow the leads and only discard at the tail end when there is no merit” Okello explained, saying that later, they only found one paper to be of interest to the case,” the detective told the court. Aiso served as the managing director of Pentagon Security Company Limited, a company owned by Onebe.

The defense, led by Counsel Patrick Kasumba, attempted to challenge the admissibility of the letter and diary, suggesting that a forensic examination of the handwriting was necessary. However, Justice Michael Elubu overruled their objections, stating that the focus at this stage is on the items’ admissibility rather than their valuation. The case continues today with Detective Constable Jacob Okello continuing his testimony as the witness.

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