Nagirinya kidnap mission was planned from Luzira prison, suspects killed her after she recognized their faces- witness
A state witness in the ongoing trial over the kidnap and murder of social worker Maria Nagirinya and her driver Ronald Kitayimbwa has presented to court a charge and caution statement in which the key suspect, Coporiyamu Kasolo alias Arsenal confessed to the crime.
Detective ASP Winfred Nakatudde who recorded the statement from Kasolo testified as the 15th prosecution witness and presented the confession to court while being led by the lead prosecutor, Chief State Attorney, Jonathan Muwaganya.
“While there(Luzira), I met two men whom I came to know as Doleyawo Teo and Kabango who told me they had a deal they wanted me to participate in and that this would happen as soon as we are discharged from prison,” Kasolo said in the confession statement read before court .
The key suspect in the case confessed to the police officer that he was told the deal involved a lady who drove a white Spacio vehicle identified by the first UBA numbers.
“I was told that the lady(Nagirinya) moves with money which is between shs40 million and shs50 million on a daily basis. This deal was told to me in 2018.”
In the statement which has since been tendered in court as a prosecution exhibit says he was told about the deal together with a one Kateregga who was released a week before him in July 2019.
He narrated that after release, he met with Kateregga who during their conversation realized had, just like him grew up in Nateete and this way, it was easy to bond and planned how to execute the mission given to them.
“Kateregga told me he had been given directions to where the woman(Nagirinya) lived and that she was dealing in selling and buying of beans from Busia and that she worked for some organization.”
Kasolo said in the statement read before court that he was told that Nagirinya had shifted to start staying in Lungujja near community play ground on the houses of one Hajjat Mayanja, a herbalist.
Survey the place
In the statement, Kasolo narrates that they later visited the area at around 8pm and found young boys whom they asked to show them the houses belonging to Hajjat Mayanja.
“We were directed and went there. At that time, the very vehicle came and it was being driven by the lady who was playing gospel music. According to the directions given to us by Yona and Teo, this was the woman who had been described to us,”Kasolo said.
According to the statement, Kasolo who was now excited later narrated the deal to his friend Rasta Manomano(Johnson Lubega) who also invited his other friend Isaac Ssenabulya, alias Kisunsu and others.
They then mobilized motorcyclists to help out in transporting them for the mission.
Tears in court
Members of the public including the deceased Nagirinya’s dad could not help wail as the statement in which Kasolo confessed and narrated in detail the planning and execution of the mission to kidnap and murder Nagirinya.
The execution
According to the statement, Rasta brought a boda boda rider identified as Masada(Hassan Kisekka) who was to coordinate the issue of motorcycles to be used in the execution of the mission .
“Masada then brought Muwonge because it was him(Muwonge) with a motorcycle . Muwonge later brought in Shafic to make it two motorcycles. We then converged at Mabiito where I made two toy guns and later bought two pangas from a hardware in Nateete, all for use during the mission.”
According to Kasolo’s confession, at around 8pm, they moved towards the Nagirinya’s gate in Lungujja and laid siege waiting for her and it was not too long when at around 11pm, the vehicle arrived.
The group that was riding on two motorcycles then jumped off and went to either side of the vehicle before pointing the two guys at the occupants and forced themselves inside the vehicle as the occupants were forced to move to the behind seats.
“I instructed the man(Kitayimbwa) to open the door but he refused . I then showed him the toy gun and that’s how he opened the door. As I turned the vehicle, the gate was opened by a woman who tapped the vehicle from behind. I just drove off and didn’t stop,”Kasolo said in the statement.
He said he drove around Kampala to find where to dump the two victims and failed to get anywhere.
“I wanted to dump the victims anywhere because our motive was only robbing money from them and I had no business with their vehicle.”
The killing
The witness who was reading the statement said that Kasolo told her that while getting the “deal”, he had been warned that Nagirinya shouldn’t see his face or else she would lead security to arrest him and the group.
Kasolo told police in his statement that therefore the group’s intention was not to kill the duo but was forced to do that after realizing they had been recognized.
“Upon failing to get a place with a bush around Kampala, I remembered that there is a place with bush around the areas of Mukono. I drove to that side looking for a bush until I found an isolated place.”
“I told Isaac and Rasta that since the victims have identified us, we have to kill them.”
It was at this time that they hit the duo with logs and a car jerk on the head before killing them and dumping their bodies in Nakitutuli swamp along the Mukono-Kayunga road.
On return to Nateete, the group abandoned the vehicle before they shared the money withdrawn from their victims’ mobile money accounts.
Kasolo says in his statement that he got shs150,000, Rasta got shs95000, one Fred got shs40,000, Masada got shs40,000, Shafic got shs60,000, Muwonge got shs10,000, Kateregga got shs80,000 and one Maama Rashid who used to cook for them at the hideout in Nateete also got some money.
They later sold Nagirinya’s smartphone for shs80,000.
The testimony by Nakatudde came on the backdrop of the rejection of the claims of torture by Kasolo who had initially told court her was forced to confess to the murder.
The key suspect said he was put in a precarious situation with the torture and was forced to make the confession.
He consequently disowned the statement in court.
However, trial judge, Isaac Muwata overruled him saying there is no evidence to prove he had been tortured and forced to confess to the crime.
The statement has since been tendered in court as an exhibit to support the prosecution case.
Justice Muwata adjourned the case until Tuesday, March, 14.
The case
Five suspects including Coporiyamu Kasolo alias Arsenal, Johnson Lubega aka Manomano, Sharif Mpanaga, Nassif Kalyango alias Muwonge, and Hassan Kisekka alias Masadda, are facing six counts of murder, kidnap and aggravated robbery.
Their co-accused, Isaac Ssenabulya, alias Kisunsu earlier pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 40years imprisonment.
He was used as a state witness.
Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya and Timothy Emeri lead the prosecution by the state whereas Julius Sserwambala is the lawyer for the accused.
