UPDF soldiers jailed for leaking classified information
The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) through its Unit Disciplinary Committee (UDC) has today charged and sentenced six officers to two months detention at Makindye military prison on cases related to misuse of social media.
The officers at the rank of Lieutenant and Captain were on Tuesday morning arraigned in the court which sat at the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence headquarters Mbuya chaired by Col. Tom Kabuye.
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The soldiers who have since been convicted and sentenced are: Capt Emmanuel Kyamwiru from the Special Forces Command (SFC), Capt Shemu Nakora of Armored Warfare Training School-Kalama, Lt Wilson Kahamba, Lt Ronald Watwaluma, Lt Ronald Kabagambe and Lt Michael Asiimwe all from Oliver Tambo Leadership School Kaweweta.
They were charged with an offence of conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline of the Defence Forces contrary to section 178 of the UPDF Act 7 of 2005.
While reading out particulars of the offence, the court prosecutor Lt John Emmanuel Alihihi said the accused between November 19th and 23rd 2017, using social media, downloaded and shared a classified military document referred to as “General Administrative Order (GAO)” copy number 36 and published it amongst different social media groups.
According to prosecution, the document which contained instructions and names of promoted officers was published by officers without proper authority and that such authority is only a preserve of the ministry of Defence spokesperson on superior orders.
Col Kabuye informed the accused that the highest punishment in an event an officer or militant releases unauthorized information is imprisonment not less than two years and later dismissal from the defence forces with disgrace.
The six officers pleaded guilty to the offence before asking for forgiveness claiming that it was done out of ignorance and excitement over their promoted colleagues.
However, court ruled that the six be detained for two months at Makindye military prison as a deterrent measure and a way of taming excitement from any other officer or militant intending to share classified information.
He explained that giving them a less sentence was a result of their remorsefulness during the trial.
Col Kabuye said that the accused being first time offenders and the army having invested a lot of resources in their training and development, dismissing them at junior ranks at the peak of their productivity would be counterproductive.
The convicted officers were advised to appeal against the sentences in the General Court Martial within fourteen days if not satisfied with the decision .
A Unit Disciplinary Committee is a lower court of the military court martial created under section 195 of the UPDF act and is given the mandate of trying all cases other than capital offences such as rape, murder and treason.
Section 221 of the same act provides for the punishment criteria.
