Court martial drops charges against UPDF soldiers accused of spying for Rwanda

The General Court Martial in Makindye has dropped charges against five UPDF soldiers who were accused of spying for Rwanda.

Lt Alex Kasamula attached to Military Police, Lt Phillip Neville Ankunda, a pilot attached to the Special Forces Command (SFC), Pte Nathan Ndwaine, a student of flight engineering and maintenance at Nakasongola Air Defence facility, Pte Moses Asiimwe, an aeroplane mechanical engineer and Pte Godfrey Mugabi were arrested by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence on allegations of being Rwandan spies.

On Tuesday, the military court prosecutor, Capt Ambrose Guma  said the director of prosecutions had issued instructions to discontinue the charges against the group.

“Therefore, we pray all the accused persons are discharged,” Capt Baguma told court.

In response, the army court chairman accepted the request .

“The state has withdrawn charges against you all in the dock and accordingly, you are set free. If any further evidence is brought against you, you will be brought back and charged accordingly,” Brig Mugabe said.

It was alleged that between February and May 2020, the accused persons and others still at large in various places within Kampala city shared sensitive and classified information to agents of Rwanda authorities with intention to prejudice the security of the defense forces of the government of Uganda.

Article 130 of the UPDF Act 2005 stipulates that a person subject military law who discloses by word of mouth or any document confidential information to the enemy or unauthorized members of the defence forces or the public or does or omits to so anything with intent to prejudice the security of the defence forces or forces co-operating with the defence forces commits and offence and is on conviction, liable to suffer death.