Businessman Dodoviko Mwanje, who was implicated in the demolition of St. Peter’s Church in Ndeeba, has regained temporary freedom, after spending close to three weeks on remand at Kitalya Prison.
Makindye Chief Magistrate Prossy Katushabe yesterday released Mwanje and his co-accused on a cash bail of sh2m each.
“This court finds that the sureties adduced in court by all the applicants are substantial. The objection of the state has no merit and each of the accused is released on a cash bail of sh2m,” Katushabe ruled.
Katushabe, however, barred the accused from travelling outside the country without court’s permission.
“It is true, as submitted by the state, that the matter is of great public interest since it involved (demolishing) a church, but the same must be balanced with the fundamental rights of the accused, who are still presumed innocent, until proven otherwise,” Katushabe noted.
Others accused are Ivan Katongole, a Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) urban planner and KCCA civil engineer Richard Naika.
Katongole is indicted over allegations of signing the demolition order for the church.
Others include senior Police officers and casual workers that were purportedly used to demolish the church. They are SSP Rashid Agero, 59, the Field Force Unit (FFU) commander Kampala Metropolitan area; SP Martin Odero, the FFU Kampala Metropolitan South zonal commander; SP David Epedu, 34, the Katwe Police Divisional commander and ASP Isabirye Kaloli, 33, attached to FFU Katwe Others are ASP Mugira Yeko Kato, the OC Station Ndeeba Police Station, AIP Anthony Kiro and CPL Richard Kasule, Ali Lubega, Badiru Ssekitto, Hamza Kiberu, Abas Mutebi, Ali Kalika, Simon Matovu, James Kisirinya, Bashir Muruti, Andrew Mujuzi, Munir Bbosa, Muhammad Kawooya and Ali Mukwaya, a Gombolola internal security officer.
The accused are battling charges of theft, disobedience of lawful orders and malicious damage to property. According to the Penal Code Act, the offences, on conviction, elicit a maximum jail sentence of seven and 10 years, respectively.
The Police officers separately face a charge of disobeying lawful orders of Commissioner of Police Moses Kafeero to deploy Police guards at the church, to avert any possible demolition.
Prosecution alleges that the duo and 22 others, including senior Police officers, between March and August 10 this year, conspired to demolish St. Peter’s Church Ndeeba, the property of Church of Uganda
However, the rest of the suspects are accused of using an excavator to break and damage the church on the night of August 10. They are also accused of stealing chairs, doors and an assorted property of the church.
The accused were arrested by Police officers under the directive of the head of State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema. This followed a directive from President Yoweri Museveni to have all the people linked to the demolition of the church apprehended, to face the law.