Two remanded for murder of Indian businessman

Kisoro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two people have been remanded in connection to the death of Patel Kuntaj, a 24-year-old Indian businessman in Kisoro district. The suspects are; Patel Hatel, 48, a businessman and proprietor of Imperial supermarket in Kisoro town, and Godfrey Ntibakunze alias Kafeero, 35, a boda boda rider.

The deceased operated a Hardware shop in Kisoro municipality. He was allegedly shot by Elioda Gumizamu, attached to the Nyakabande refugee transit centre on October 27.

Kuntaj later died at St. Francis hospital in Mutolere. It is alleged that Gumizamu and a group of unidentified men entered the hardware shop and in the process, Gumizamu pulled out a gun and reportedly shot Kuntaj in the chest.

After the incident, Gumizamu put the gun in a sack and boarded a motorcycle to take off. However, residents in the vicinity who heard the gun sounds surrounded the area and arrested him. Gumizamu reportedly said that he had been hired by a businessman to commit the act at a cost of 20 million Shillings.

Last week, Gumizamu Bernard Nteziyaremye, a private security guard attached to Harvest Mountain security company and a resident of Shozi village in Nyakabande sub county was remanded.

On Tuesday evening, Hatel and Ntibakunze also appeared before the Chief Magistrate’s court and were charged with murder and conspiracy to murder.

Ntibakunze’s lawyer Rogers Nabasa, asked the court to release his client on bail on grounds that he requires medical treatment due to torture wounds that were inflicted on him by police officers when he was arrested. Ngaruye Ruhindi Boniface, Hatel’s lawyer also asked the court to grant him bail on medical grounds.

But Kenneth Komakech, the Chief Magistrate rejected the requests saying that it is beyond the jurisdiction of his court. He says that the suspects can only take a plea before High Court. Komakech remanded the suspects until December 6.

Komakech however instructed the Kisoro prisons authorities to take Hatel and Ntibakunze for medical examination and present the medical results to court on Wednesday.

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