{UAH} Lugogo murder probe hits snag-there you go. does that girl look like in jail or a suspect?
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10:05 PM |
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Lugogo murder probe hits snag
Written by JONATHAN KAMOGA
Foreign forensic experts to join Lugogo shooting investigation
Preliminary investigations into the fatal shooting at a shopping mall in Lugogo have thrown up more questions than answers, complicating efforts by detectives to pin the culprits and in the process calm the political and ethnic undertones underpinning this incident.
Yesterday, the police spokesman for Kampala Metropolitan, Emilian Kayima, told The Observer that the force had put some of its best brains on the case.
"A team of senior detectives from Kampala Metropolitan have been selected to handle this shooting and have to look into various things," he said.
However, according to Kayima and other sources who asked not to be named in order to speak freely on the contentious issue, those officers have so far failed to crack the puzzle.
For instance, Kayima pointed out, since the gun which is the major exhibit is still missing, forensic experts will be used to determine the gun basing on the bullets that were recovered from the deceased's body.
"Did the assailants use a silence gun or normal pistols?" he asked.
On Saturday night, city businessman Matthew Kanyamunyu, the chief executive of Quantum Express and Logistics, allegedly shot Kenneth Akena after the deceased brushed his car. Akena, a community development officer based in Kasese district, later died at Norvik hospital along Bombo road.
Kanyamunyu, who took Akena to hospital, says he was only a good Samaritan helping a victim of a stray bullet that could have been meant for his girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari, who hails from Burundi.
Akena's brother told police that shortly before he died, the deceased revealed that Kanyamunyu had shot him before driving him to hospital. Although Kanyamunyu was arrested to help with investigations, he says he does not own a gun. His assertions have complicated police investigations, with the force now needing its own proof.
Our insiders within the force say the police will need highly-trained forensic experts to determine the type of gun used to kill Akena since none has been recovered.
"Basing on the bullets which were found in the deceased's body the experts can tell which type of gun was used to shoot," said a reliable source in the police.
He added that after identifying the gun, detectives can trace who owns the gun in the records. The source, however, added that people with such expertise have to be hired from either South Africa or Kenya.
SCENE OF CRIME
There is also no conclusive evidence yet on the particular place where the crime was committed. So far, some leads have pointed at the parking lot at Forest mall, but it has also been suggested that it was near the Game store or near the Rugby club.
"We are not yet sure where exactly Akena was shot, which is still a big challenge in investigations," he said. "Some people say Akena was shot at Rugby club while others say he was shot at Game; so, we are not yet sure of the right scene of crime."
Kayima said the investigators must establish the exact scene of crime where the deceased was shot, but with no trace of blood at any of the three places, this important piece of information remains elusive.
The lack of blood at all three suspected scenes of crime has baffled investigators.
"If Akena was shot at Game, police would have found some blood flowing because if you are shot, you cannot fail to bleed," said Kayima.
"We still doubt if Akena was shot at Game or if he was shot at another place and brought to Game," he said, adding that investigations will establish the truth.
Kayima also said nobody has come up to say that the shooting took place at Game.
"The time the deceased was shot, it was still early and people could have seen Kanyamunyu shooting or a sound could have been heard," he said.
FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS
Kayima added that even the security guards at Game did not see or hear any gunshots. He, however, added the police would ask the management of Game to provide CCTV footage, which should help with further investigations.
Kayima also said that the police are looking into the identity of the girl in Kanyamunyu's company.
"The family of the girl had a shooting history. Her mother was attacked and shot; so, there is a possibility that the assailants targeted the girl," said Kayima.
SUSPECTS AT POLICE
Kanyamunyu and Munwangari are still under custody at Jinja Road police station, as detectives continue to investigate.
Yesterday, they received a number of visitors who included human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo, the proprietor of The Independent magazine Andrew Mwenda, criminal lawyer Macdosman Kabega, and another lawyer Elison Karuhanga.
The suspects chatted casually with their visitors, sometimes even managing smiles between them. Police yesterday said they intend to subject Kanyamunyu to a medical examination to ascertain his mental state, a routine procedure for murder suspects.
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