Dismissed police officer jailed 16 months for neglecting killer gun in Indian murder

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Stephen Murombo, a former police officer has been sentenced to serve one and a half years in jail for neglecting his gun which was stolen by his colleague Ivan Wabwire to murder an Indian Money lender.

Murombo was sentenced on Monday by the Buganda Road Grade One Magistrate Fidelis Otwao following his own plea bargain agreement with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The agreement was tendered before the Court by State Attorney Shiphrah Nidoi when the matter came up for an update on the status of investigations. He was facing two charges of neglect of duty and failure to keep firearms and ammunition.

According to the prosecution, on May 12th, 2023 at Central Police Station Kampala, Murombo being employed as a police officer in the Uganda Police Force, abandoned a sub-machine gun with its 120 rounds of ammunition in a place where it is not supposed to be kept, where it was found by Police Constable Ivan Wabwire who was not entitled to it and used it to murder Uttam Bhandari.

The agreement a copy of which Uganda Radio Network has seen indicates that whereas the maximum sentence for the crimes for which he was accused attracted a jail term of five and two years respectively upon being found guilty, Murombo negotiated for one year and six months’ imprisonment as the highest sentence.

For the other sentence for the crime of failure to protect firearms and ammunition,  the parties agreed one-year jail term, both sentences were to run concurrently.   Muromba accepted the charges and pleaded guilty in the plea bargain agreement.

“Prior to entering this plea, I have had a full opportunity to discuss with my Advocate the facts of my case, the elements of the offense(s), any defenses available to me, my Constitutional rights and waiver of those rights, and the consequences of my plea.  I offer my plea of guilty voluntarily with full understanding and declare that no one has made or used any threat(s) and/or force against me, my family, and loved ones, or offered any inducements or promises to me in exchange for my plea of guilty”, reads the agreement.

The sentence negotiated by Senior State Attorney Timothy Amerit and Muromba’s lawyer Evans Ochieng indicates that Muromba is willing to cooperate with the prosecution and testify as a witness in the case against Wabwire.

It further shows that Murombo had no intention whatsoever to use the gun for any criminal activities and did not have any intention to cause the death of Uttam Bhandari.

“Accused did not have any pre-meditation to commit a criminal offense. He is a father and breadwinner. The accused is remorseful. The accused was dismissed from the Uganda Police Force. He is still a young man who can be of great value to society”, the agreement adds.

After the agreement, Magistrate Otwao endorsed it with a  deduction of the time spent on remand saying that having reviewed the agreement and having questioned  Muromba concerning his constitutional rights, he has found that he (Muromba)  has expressly, knowingly, understandingly, and intelligently waived and given up his or her constitutional and statutory rights.

“The court finds that the accused/Muromba voluntarily agreed to plead guilty with an understanding of the nature and consequences thereof, that any allegations as indicated in this form are true, and that there is a factual basis for the plea and admission. The court accepts the accused’s plea and orders that this agreement is incorporated in the docket by reference as though fully set forth therein’, said Otwao.

Murombo was in May dismissed from the force by the Police Disciplinary Court and is currently at Luzira Prison.

Wabwire waits for trial in the High Court following his committal on murder charges about two weeks ago by the same court.

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