Bombo shooting: Soldier to spend 90 years in prison

Pte. Odoch in the mobile dock being watched by military police personnel last week  

By ABUBAKER LUBOWA

In Summary

The court also handed him 25 years for the failure to protect war materials and 20 years for aggravated robbery. All the sentences will run concurrently

 

Private Patrick Okot Odoch Tuesday started serving a 90-year jail sentence after the General Court Martial found him guilty of killing ten people and injuring two others in March this year near Bombo Barracks, in Luweero District.

Breaking down the sentence, the court that was presided over by Brig. Fred Tolit, handed Odoch  65 years for each of the 10 counts of murder.

The court also handed him 25 years for failing to protect war materials and 20 years for aggravated robbery. All the sentences will run concurrently.

Pte. Odoch who was found guilty of all the charges seemed unbothered.

The court sitting at Bombo Health Centre last week convicted Pte. Odoch, who was attached to the Land Forces base in Bombo.

 Brig Fred Tolit, while delivering the verdict last week, said the court had critically analysed the summary of submissions from both the State prosecution and the defence lawyers basing on the testimony of the 25 witnesses and court exhibits.

 “Prosecution side successfully proved a prima facie case, no dispute that 10 people were killed, that the death was unlawful. One of the witnesses, Pte. Balugala Lukwago David, who survived death by luck when the accused shot three bullets targeting his life after committing the murders, knew Odoch very well and had earlier rescued a young girl, who Odoch was molesting,” Brig. Tolit ruled.

 “It is clear from this particular testimony that there was no mistaken identity for this witness, who had known him for about five months. It is also clear and known to Odoch that he had been deployed. This honourable court therefore finds the accused guilty of all the 15 counts and consequently convicts you.”

Prosecution led by Capt Fredrick Kamgwamu prayed for a severe punishment considering the gravity of the offences, which he described as barbaric.

But defence lawyers led by Capt Moses Nasser Drago, urged court not to give Pte. Odoch a death sentence, saying he is a married young man with three children.

Capt Drago told the court that the convict has had a clean service record in the army except for the offences for which he has been convicted for.

Pte Odoch, who went into hiding after the shooting,  was arrested by the army on March 16 at Abere village in Oyam District after security operatives tracked a telephone call he had made to a friend in Bombo Barracks, requesting money to enable him cross to DR Congo.