Ssebulime murder: Police contact MTN, Airtel to find out who ordered the shooting

Police have said they have sent requests to telecom companies MTN and Airtel Uganda to get them phone printouts that would help them find out who ordered the execution of Ronald Ssebulime.

Last week, police their own officers had arrested Ssebulime, who was suspected to have followed Minister Aidah Nantaba handcuffed him and later shot him dead.

Eye witnesses had earlier told journalists that the police officer who pulled the trigger got a phone call from an unknown person to inform him that the orders had changed and that he was now supposed to shoot Ssebulime dead.

Police have since arrested all the patrol vehicle occupants and identified the shooter as Cpl Edward Ssali who was the car commander.

Addressing a weekly press briefing on Monday at Naguru, police spokesperson, Fred Enanga told journalists that in a bid to find out why their own officer had shot dead Ssebulime, they have contacted the telecom companies to assist them in their investigations.

“We got a response from MTN and we are waiting for one from Airtel. We want to find out the communication between the shooter and anyone else,”Enanga told journalists.

He explained that the phone printout will be crucial in finding out the missing link in the shooting of Ssebulime, a suspect who had been arrested and was on handcuffs.

Scene reconstructed

Enanga noted that over the weekend, they revisited the scene of the crime in Naggojje with all the police officers who participated in the operation that led to the murder of Ssebulime, a week ago.

“We went with them to reconstruct the scene but on reaching there, the locals wanted to lynch Cpl Edward Ssali but we saved him.”

This according to police points out to the fact that the locals had clearly identified the man who pulled the trigger to finish off Ssebulime’s life under unclear circumstances.

Police also noted that the mental status of their officers involved in the murder was checked and it found out they are normal or were under any influence while orchestrating the crime.

Enanga said the three guns at the scene have too been taken to a ballistic expert to find out the exact gun used in the murder before concluding the investigations.

“In such cases (shooting) there are always mental issues but the results indicated the officers are normal. By tomorrow(Tuesday) or Wednesday, the file will be sent to the office of the DPP to guide us on what to do next,” the police mouthpiece said.

He insisted that despite the Ssebulime murder incident, officers on 999 police patrol vehicles have in the past behaved well and helped a lot in fighting crime.

The police spokesperson also noted that the force’s legal department had receive the intention to sue notice by Ssebulime’s family.

Last week, Ssebulime’s family through Muwada and Company Advocates wrote to police saying they are soon suing them for shs9.9 billion over the murder.

Enanga said the  Director in charge of legal services in the police force will peruse the notice  and respond to the family  accordingly.