Pato: Flamboyant man arrested over Susan Magara murder granted bail on another kidnap charge

Patrick Kasaija alias Agaba Pato, the man suspected to have masterminded the kidnap and subsequent murder of Susan Magara, in 2018 has been released on bail.

Agaba, 36, who was extradited from South Africa was recently charged with the kidnap of one Joan Cora Alupo by the magistrate court in Makindye before applied for bail before the High Court in Kampala.

On Tuesday afternoon, Pato, as he is commonly known as was granted bail by Justice Yasin Nyanzi after the state failed to object to the bail application.

Reading his ruling, Justice Nyanzi said he has been satisfied with the sureties including Pato’s father, Christopher Kasaija and Uncle Richard Kagoro who were asked to pay a non-cash bond of 20 million shillings each.

His other sureties were friends including Ambrose Byona, an accountant and Arnold Ananura who were bonded at shs25 million each not cash.

The suspect was also asked to deposit his passport which is after the end of investigations with the Deputy Registrar of the Court.

He will also not be allowed to travel out of the country before seeking permission from the court.

Patrick Kasaija also known as Pato, the key suspect in the kidnap and subsequent murder of Susan Magara was three months ago extradited from South Africa where he has been hiding, to Uganda.

Magara, 28, who was working as the administrator for the family businesses as well as a cashier for Bwendo Dairy Farm in Hoima was kidnapped in Mengo as she left work to drive home in Lungujja on February 7, 2018.

She was held captive for three weeks, before being killed and the killers dumped her body in Kitiko Village between Kajjansi and Kigo along the Entebbe Express highway despite being given the shs700 million ransom that they had asked for from the family.

Her killers first cut off two of her fingers as they pushed the family to pay ransom money.

After arresting some suspects, police named Kasaija, Byensi Yakoub and Zahra as the other missing suspects in the kidnap and subsequent murder of Magara.

Investigators insisted that Kasaija, also known as Pato, a Ugandan Citizen is commonly known for cruising around in posh motor vehicles with personalized number plates named ‘Pato’ had left the country carrying the ransom money paid by the family of the late Susan Magara after her murder.

Security said Pato had traveled to South Africa on February 25, 2018, a day after the ransom worth Sh700 million was paid to the kidnappers.