On Monday afternoon, Makindye chief magistrate remanded to prison the three key suspects implicated in the destruction of St.Peters Church-Ndeeba.
Those remanded were; Dodoviko Mwanje, believed to be the mastermind, KCCA’s Ivan Katongole and Police officer SP. Martin Odero together with 18 others.
The three men appeared before chief magistrate Prossy Katushabe and denied the offense. The prosecution states that between March and August 2020, the two conspired with several senior police officers and other people who are already on remand at Kitalya government prison to demolish the property of Church of Uganda.
Among the senior police officers implicated in this matter is Police Superetendant David Epedu, Katwe police station DPC , ASP Mugisha Yeko Kato ; the Officer in-charge of Ndeeba police , SSP Rashid Agero and Martin Adero; who are police Field Force unit commanders .
The police officers separately face a charge of disobeying lawful orders of commissioner of police Moses Kafeero, which were to over see security deployment at St. Peter’ church inorder to avert any possible demolition .
Other people including a building inspection Engineer of Lubaga division, a mechanic and a veteran soldier among others are charged with causing malicious damage to St. Peter’s church
and theft of church property such as chairs and doors .
These 21 suspects who are on remand at Kitalya prison participated in court proceedings via video conferencing having been already charged and denied any involvement in the demolition of the said church which happened in wee hours of 10th/August 2020.
Dodoviko turned himself in court following criminal summons issued against him by the magistrate two weeks ago.
On August 10, Ugandans woke up to shocking pictures of the demolished church that had been at the centre of land dispute.
The incident was widely criticised by church leaders from across all denominations including large sections of the public.
Following the act, President Yoweri Museveni, visited the scene and promised that a new church structure will be put up.
The President also dismissed claims that the Government is behind the demolition of the Church and promised that the people responsible will face the law.
