The LDU personnel accused of killing a 65-year-old man in Oyam District has been slapped with life sentence by the Uganda People’s Defense Forces 5 Division Court-martial.
Pt Jolly Thomas Opoka was convicted on his guilty plea after he confessed to killing Francis Ogwang Munu.
The deceased, who was a resident of Amati Village, Kamdini Sub-county, lost his life on June 27, 2020, after he was allegedly beaten by members of the security team.
On Monday, Opoka pleaded guilty to the offence and asked for lenience from the army court.
“I found him lying under a table. I tried to wake him up by kicking him and using my gun. He stood up and pleaded with me not to kill him,”Opoka confessed.
The Witnesses told court that on the fateful day, the deceased was looking for food before the LDU arrested and stabbed him with a gun bayonet and the deceased lost a lot of blood.
On Tuesday, the army prosecutors led by Lt Alex Rasto Mukhwana asked court to give a deterrent sentence to the three accused persons to act as a lesson for others.
The three soldiers were found guilty and were convicted by the court chairman Col Paul Omara.
The army court chairman convicted and sentenced Opoka to life imprisonment, whereas Pt.Felix Okumu was sentenced to 40 years and their operations commander, Lance Corporal Geoffrey Ogwang was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
