Witness tells court he was tortured, robbed by Pastor Ssenyonga's guards

Sam Mukula, a member of Christian Life Church told court yesterday that he underwent operation twice at Mulago hospital due to injuries inflicted on him by security personnel attached to the church which belongs to Pastor Jackson Senyonga.

Testifying before High Court presided over by Justice Isaac Muwata yesterday, Mukula said he was allegedly boxed and kicked by the security personnel led by Israel Wasswa. He said this happened on June 8, 2018 at Christian Life Church premises.

He said in the process, he lost Shs 500,000.

"I was admitted in a nearby clinic for a week but when my condition worsened with swelling stomach, I was referred to Mulago hospital for an operation,” a teary Mukula said.

Mukula was testifying in an aggravated robbery case against  Waswa, the chief guard of Ssenyonga, Ali Ojulongo alias Peter, Godfrey Mwanda alias Kefa, and Ivan Wanyama, a chapatti baker.

"After beating me, the accused opened an assault case against me, saying It was me who had beaten them but I was granted police bond the following day to seek medical treatment after spending a night in the cell,” he said.

Mukul, who said he had been a member of the church for one year said he was surprised that it is the church guards who assaulted him.

Prosecution led by Macbeth Agumenaitwe alleges that the accused and others still at large on June 8, 2018 at Christina Life Church Makerere-Kavule Kawempe Division, being armed with blunt objects, assaulted and robbed Mukula of his Itel mobile phone worth Shs 35,000, and Shs 500,000.

Genesis

On the fateful day, Mukula said he went outside the church to get what to eat since he was hungry. Together with his brother Joseph Odele, he said he managed to get a cup of porridge.

"While taking porridge,  Mwanda, an usher, told us to go back inside the church. Feeling inconvenienced, I walked away but he continued trailing me until at Umeme building where I was surrounded and beaten to near death," he testified.

Mukula said after he was beaten, Waswa allegedly dragged him to a Police Post at Kavule, where the beating intensified before he was locked up in the cell.

It is while he was in the cell that he realised that his phone, national identity card and wrist watch were missing.

A medical clinical officer from Golan Clinic, Michael Oligo, told court that he examined the victim (Mukula) at Mulago hospital following a request from Police on June 26, 2018.

He revealed that the victim had a fracture in the right forearm and internal injury in the abdomen. He said the injury was as a result of blunt object.

"The abdominal ultra sound showed the victim had blood in the abdomen. This means an organ in the stomach was injured due to excessive bleeding," he explained.

Oligo said he classified Mukula's injury as grievous harm because such injuries can restrict the victim from performing other activities.

Prosecution tendered in court a copy of the Police medical form under Section 62 (b) 64 (1) (C) of the Evidence Act that allows secondary evidence where the original document is lost.

The third prosecution witness, Alex Tumusiime, also confirmed to court that the accused assaulted the victim.

The case resumes on Monday, February 27