Nagirinya murder suspect asks court for Shs50m to advertise witness summons
Copriam Kasolo, alias Arsenal who is the key suspect in the 2019 murder of social worker Maria Nagirinya and her driver Ronald Kitayimbwa appears in court in Kampala on May 8, 2023. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- The suspect wants to advertise in newspapers, television, radio and social media.
One of the suspects in the murder case of social worker Maria Nagirinya has asked court for Shs50m to enable him to advertise summons to his five witnesses across mass media.
The key suspect Copriam Kasolo, 27, a former shoe hawker at Natete in Rubaga Division, asked court after losing bid of not defending himself together with his other five co-accused persons.
Other suspects include unemployed Johnson Lubega alias Manomano Rasta, 20, and boda-bodas Nassif Kalyango alias Muwonge,22, and Hassan Kiseeka alias Masadda. The boda-bodas are riders in Kitaka Zone in Nateete, Rubaga Division.
They face six counts, including murder, kidnap and aggravated robbery.
Justice Isaac Muwata of the High Court has ordered the six accused people to defend themselves against the murder of Nagirinya, a former employee of Community Integrated Development Initiative, and her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa. This was after finding that the evidence against the accused by the prosecution warranted them to be put on defense.
The judge considered the evidence of the witnesses which included postmortem reports that should there was death caused due to the brutal injuries that were inflicted on the victims. Additionally, there was theft of property and evidence of an accomplice and eyewitness.
However, immediately after the court’s ruling of no-case to answer, the suspects indicated that they will give sworn evidence where the state will be able to ask them questions.
Kasolo indicated to court that he had six witnesses to defend him and among them is his co-accused Lubega while the five he did not know where to find them which necessitated him to advertise on different print and digital media platforms.
“I pray that the court gets me Shs50 so that I can summon them through advertisement,” Kasolo told the court.
However, prosecution led by Jonathan Muwaganya told court that by law, Kasolo did not have a right to have his said witnesses summoned since he had never mentioned or disclosed them in the lower court at the time of his committal to the High Court for trial.
Prosecution led by Jonathan Muwaganya and Timothy Emerit alleges that on August 28, 2016 the accused and others still at large, at Nabisasiro zone in Rubaga and Mukono District kidnapped Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa and murdered them. The suspects also allegedly used violence to rob Nagirinya of her motor vehicle registration number UBA 570V, mobile phone and Shs260,000 cash.
