LDU personnel jailed for life for killing 65-year-old man
UPDF 5th division Court Martial sitting at Kamdini Primary School in Oyam district has sentenced a Local Defence Unit personnel to life imprisonment after being convicted on his own plea of guilty of murder.
Pte. Jolly Thomas Opoka was convicted and sentenced for killing Francis Ogwang, a 65 year old man.
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Last week, Opoka and Pte Felix Okumu, both LDU personnel and their operations commander, Lance Corporal Geoffrey Ogwang (UPDF), were charged with murder for beating to death the 65 year old man during operations to enforce the presidential directive on curfew.
Witnesses told court that on the fateful day, the deceased was looking for food before LDU personnel arrested and stabbed him with a gun bayonet and the deceased bled so much.
He later died after losing a lot of blood.
On Monday, Opoka pleaded guilty to the offence and asked for lenience from the army court
"I found him lying under a table. I tried to wake him up by kicking him and using my gun. He stood up and pleaded with me not to kill him,"Opoka said in his confession.
On Tuesday, the army prosecutors led by Lt Alex Rasto Mukhwana asked court to give a deterrent sentence to the three accused persons to act as a lesson for others who would wish to commit the same offence.
The court chairman Col Paul Omara ruled that the three soldiers were found guilty and went ahead to convict them.
The army court chairman convicted and sentenced Opoka to life imprisonment, whereas Pt.Felix Okumu was sentenced to 40 years and their operations commander, Lance Corporal Geoffrey Ogwang was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
