Five people, among them a pilot attached to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Air Force wing have been remanded to prison on allegations of illegal access to Entebbe military base and threatening security.
The General Court Martial (GCM) remanded to Makindye Military Prison Lt Isaac Makobore, a 37-year-old pilot and an officer of the regular forces of UPDF currently attached to Entebbe Air Force wing.
The army court presided over by Brig Freeman Robert Mugabe also remanded businessmen Denis Buchanan, John Bosco Nyundo, Godfrey Mukiibi alias Semakula 45, and Patrick Tshimanga 32, a Congolese refugee to Luzira Prison until November 29 when they will return for mention of the case.
All the five suspects denied the charges against them.
The suspects appeared before the seven-member panel of the army court after spending close to a month in custody without trial.
Prosecution led by Pte Regina Nanzala alleges that between December 1 and 5 of 2021 at the Air Force Military Base in Entebbe Municipality, Wakiso District, Lt Makobore, Buchanan, Nyundo, Tshimanga and Mukiibi without authorization moved and accessed the air drone wing, an act prejudicing the security of the defense forces.
Private Nanzala told court that investigations into the case are still ongoing.
The five people were arraigned before the army court amid a pending application in which they had asked the Civil Division of the High Court for an unconditional release from custody.
It is alleged that the suspects were arrested by security personnel around October 20 this year and that they have been in custody at the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) for close to a month.
In a sworn statement, Gorret Bunjo Mukiibi states that her husband, Mukiibi told her that he was informed by his captors that he was detained on the orders of a top Army General over an alleged gold scam deal involving unknown persons he was not aware of or at all.
