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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala socialite Charles Olimu alias Sipapa has asked the court to direct the prosecution to return his property confiscated during his arrest.
Sipapa and his wife Shamirah Nakiyemba appeared on Thursday at the Chief Magistrates Court in Makindye on charges of aggravated robbery.
Court presided over by Esther Adikini heard that personal items belonging to Sipapa were taken by the police who arrested him and to date, they have not been returned.
Geoffrey Turyamusiima of Wameli and Company Advocates told the court that the police took a home cooker, a car spraying machine, two computers, one monitor, CCTV camera, a spade, 1 DVR camera, car sale agreements, car log books, 70,000 USD and 1.5 million Shillings.
Other items are seven pairs of shoes, gold chains, seven watches, the wife’s necklaces, 6 new Jeep lights, and the receipts of all the properties that were purchased by Sipapa.
Turyamusiima noted that he did not know for how long they are going to be kept for purposes of investigations. According to Sipapa, some of the personal items had not been listed on the list of exhibits which made him think that they had been stolen.
But the prosecution led by Harriet Adong in response said that the items listed by Sipapa’s lawyer are part of the evidence. She added that the CCTV camera is being analyzed by the police forensic team.
Adong also told the court that they can’t return the car logbooks to Sipapa since they are not in his name. He says that they are tracing the owners of the cars.
Adong adjourned the case to February 27 for committal.
The prosecution alleges that Sipapa and Nakiyemba and others still at large during the night of August 29th, 2022 at Bunga Kawuku Makindye Division in Kampala district robbed six South Sudanese nationals of different items and cash.
One of the victims Jacob Arok Mul was robbed of 429,000 United States Dollars, (1.6 billion shillings), two mobile phones, an iPhone silver blue in color valued at 3,200 United States Dollars, a Samsung, and a Flat Screen TV 75 inches valued at 4,000 United States Dollars.
It is alleged that on the same night, they robbed Mary Ateng of an iPhone 12 Pro Max Gold in Color valued at 5 million shillings, a Golden belt, and a Golden Chain both total valued at 10,000 United States Dollars (38 million shillings), and two gold rings valued at 500 United States Dollars.
The prosecution further alleges that the couple and others still at large robbed Chol Ateng of an iPhone 11 Pro Dark Green in color valued at 800,000 shillings, a Dell laptop, a charger valued at 1,000 USD, and 500,000 cash. The suspects further went ahead and robbed Deng Arok of an Apple Macbook Air Laptop valued at 5 million shillings and an iPhone valued at 5 million shillings.
At the home of another victim Abig Yar, Sipapa and his wife allegedly stole a laptop and an iPhone all valued at 5 million shillings. They also robbed James Manyok of 400,000 shillings.
According to the charges, immediately or after the robbery, Sipapa and his wife reportedly used a substance that made all their victims unconscious which made it easier for them to execute their crimes successfully.
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