Suspect enters court with gun, threatens to shoot witness

There was tension at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo, a Kampala suburb when a suspect entered the courtroom with a gun and threatened to shoot one of the witnesses.

The incident according to the Kampala Metropolitan deputy Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, happened on Monday when Cyrus Luzinda Sale accessed the courtroom with a star pistol that had 13 rounds of ammunition.

“According to one of the witnesses who was in court for the hearing on a matter in which Luzinda was the accused, the suspect managed to gain access to the witnesses in the matter he is accused of receiving stolen property and started threatening to cause harm to them,”Owoyesigyire said.

The police mouthpiece said the situation was saved when one of the witnesses managed to sneak out of the court and informed police officers at the entrance of the court premises who came to the rescue and disarmed the suspect.

“The task team at Jinja Road Police Station will further establish whether the suspect had a license for the firearm or not. The gun will also be forwarded for further forensic analysis to also establish whether it was fingerprinted during the ongoing exercise of fingerprinting firearms and whether it has ever been used in any crime.”

Consequently, the court canceled Luzinda’s bail and he was returned to Kitalya government prisons whereas additional charges of threatening violence and attempted murder have been slapped against him.

Owoyesigyire revealed that police officers in charge of the Anti-Corruption Court entrance have also been arrested over negligence.

“The police have also taken action against the court orderlies, who were supposed to ensure that every person is effectively searched from head to toe, for failure to carry out their duties.”