LDUs Acquitted, UPDF Corporal Convicted of Assaulting Mityana Chairman

The UPDF 1st Division Court Martial chaired by Col Sam Mugyenyi has acquitted two Local Defence Unit (LDU) Personnel of the charge of assault and causing bodily harm to Mityana District Chairperson Joseph Luzige

At the same time, the court convicted Lance Corporal Simon Angulia who was leading the patrol team and sentenced him to four months in jail

Angulia was found culpable of failure to observe restraint as required by the Standing Operating Procedures of the army.

The charge was reduced from assault causing bodily harm to common assault after the complainant was found to have falsely accused the officers of initiating the scuffle.

The suspect  Okello Isaac,  Odeke Solomon and Lance Corporal Angulia Simon Peter had been arrested and charged for assault causing bodily harm following an incident of 7th July 2020 where they were filmed in a scuffle with the LC V Chairman as they enforced the COVID-19 directives and allegedly injured his eye.

The two LDUs were acquitted after cross examination of four witnesses, including the complainant. There was no proof that the District Chairman’s eye was injured or that he had obtained grievous bodily harm as he alleged. A witness, Dr. Lubogo, denied having treated the District Chairperson after the scuffle as had been recorded in the charge sheet and statements. Dr. Lubogo is a Senior Medical Officer in Mityana.

Eye witnesses also proved that it was the District Chairman who sparked off the brawl by being the first to violently grab Lance Corporal Angulia Simon Peter by the collar of his military attire while on duty.

The arrest of the trio followed the intervention of the top command of the UPDF which led to the team comprising of the Deputy Commander Land Forces Maj Gen Sam Kavuma, 1st Division Commander Maj Gen Samuel Kawagga, and the Chief Political Commissar Maj Gen Henry Matsiko, to make visit the area and inquire more about the alleged assault.

The two UPDF soldiers and LDUs in Division court martial on Wednesday as Chairman Luzige testified against them