KAMPALA– On Tuesday, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Ssemanda Twaha attached to Kabalagala Police Station, appeared in court as a Prosecution witness in a matter where Business man Francis Onebe is accused of murdering his wife.
Francis-Onebe in court early this year. (Courtesy photo)
On appearing before High court judge, Michael Elubu, Ssemanda informed court that he was the first investigating officer to handle a case file for disapearance of Immaculate Onebe who was later discovered to be dead having found his body rotting in a septic tank of their matrimonial home located in Munyonyo, Makindye Division, Kampala District.
In his testimony, the witness told court that Onebe reported the matter to Police , investigations were done and later it was established that he had a hand in the murder of his wife (immaculate) thus resulting into his arrest.
“Onebe told us that somebody had told him that his wife had been detained at CMI for security matters , but that person asked him to deposit his phone eleven million shillings which he did.”
That upon arrest, Onebe couldn’t take them to the person whom he sent the money, but instead Police used the Sim card number on which the money was sent to locate the location of the user.
“The coordinates indicated that the phone was in Tororo. I travelled there with detective Constable Okello Charles and on reaching Tororo, we booked in our presence and we were added two more police men to assist us.”
That they arrested the person with the person using the phone, brought him to Kabalagala recorded a statement, but he was later released on police bond due to lack of evidence pinning him.
That a one Abaasa Gerald told one of Onebe’s daughters that he had information regarding the kidnap of their mother (immaculate onebe).
“The daughter to onebe (Awoto) in her statement at Police revealed that while she visited her dad was in prison, he instructed her to deposit six million, two hundred sixty thousand shillings on a bank account which was later identified to belong to a one Abasa Gerald.”
During cross examination conducted by Onebe’s lawyers led by Patrick Kasumba, Ssemanda revealed that they arrested another person by names of Abasa but he is not on trial with the two( Onebe and Oriekot Bonny) because it was later realized that he told Police lies about the matter and he was charged with giving false information, forgery and uttering false documents.
“Abasa was tried on different file, convicted and sentenced to prison by the Court martial. Yesterday (Monday) ,I wrote to the General Court martial requesting them for the judgement and record of proceedings.”
The Investigating officer told court that he ended investigating on the matter in August 2021 but later on added that he made a statement about the same matter on 1st October 2021 which was greatly challenged by the defense lawyers.
These lawyers were surprised to find that Semanda’s statement was recorded after his time of investigating on the matter had ended, secondly, it was not serialized, without any punched hole or a thread indicating that it was on the Police file.
Ssemanda in response to the above Contentions, noted that it wasn’t a must that his statement should contain the above things in order to be valid.
The witness also told court that there were three cameras, One for the Police (operational but obstructed by a tree branch) and others at Gaz Fuel station. That he didn’t extract any footage from any of these cameras but didn’t extract any footage from any of them during investigations.
The case Is being prosecuted by Chief State Attorney Sharifa Nalwanga.
Prosecution contends that Dr. Onebe, 63, together with his home security guard Bonny Oriekot,26, and others still at large in January 2021 at Muwanga zone in Muyenga, Makindye Division murdered Asio.
