The Court in Jinja has remanded Nakaseke District Fisheries Officer Edmond Mpaata, who thought he had eluded justice following his alleged involvement in the murder of a 20 year old destitute identified as Alex Higenyi.
Edmond Mpaata, who was initially released after only 12 hours in custody at the CPS Jinja, was re-arrested and charged with the crime.
Edmond Mpaata will reappear in the court on 17 October 2024, when he will most likely be committed to the High Court and sent back to the jail.
According to reports, Mpaata and his private security guard, Sande Gesa Joseph, kidnapped Higenyi, who was walking along the road and took him inside the residence situated along Elgon Avenue in Jinja City in August, 2023.
Investigations reveal that the victim was allegedly tortured and held captive for three days before his body was dumped on the foothill of Busoga College Mwiri along Old Kakira Road in Kakira Town Council.
The Regional Police Spokesperson SP James Mubi says the police investigation, aided by CCTV footage, revealed that Mpaata used his car registration number UAL 998B to transport and dispose of Higenyi’s lifeless body.
A case of murder under CRB 851/2023 was registered at CPS Jinja.
Despite the evidence, Mpaata’s initial release sparked public outrage, with many suspecting that some senior police officers had been compromised.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that Mpaata coughed 25M/= to wet the beaks of a few senior cops who, out of excitement, assured him the case was dead on arrival and would never return to life.
However, this angered some cops (a few patriotic and professional ones and those who did not eat from the blood money) to wage a cold war to ensure that the case was resuscitated.
This group reportedly embarked on assembling and transmitting all the sensitive and vital information as evidence to their superiors in Kampala on how the image of the already battered Uganda Police Force was now bleeding because of a few greedy cops.
SP James Mubi, who in the past was tight-lipped on the matter, now says detectives have conducted a prosecution-guided investigation through DNA scientific analysis.
“…we did a DNA forensic analysis on the deceased’s body, DNA scientific analysis was also done at the scene where the deceased was allegedly tortured and murdered,Mpaata’s vehicle and the scene where the deceased’s body was dumped…”, the police loudspeaker comments.
SP James Mubi has used the incident to issue a stern warning to the public, particularly the wealthy and powerful, against using their position and wealth to break the law.
“…impunity has no more room in Uganda, the law is clear, and it will be applied equally to individuals, regardless of their social status or wealth…” he emphasized.
SP Mubi’s statement aims to reassure the public that the police as an institution will not tolerate any form of impunity and that justice will be served equally to all.
“…we urge everyone to respect the law and avoid taking matters into their own hands, the police will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that justice is served and the rule of law is upheld…”, he added.
The warning serves as a reminder that no one is above the law, and that the police will work to ensure accountability and justice for all including some errant cops who easily melt whenever money is tossed before them.
Background
Reports suggest that between 16th-17rg August,2023,the fisheries officer, now a suspect, together with his watchman Sande Gesa, kidnapped Higenyi, who was walking along the street.
While inside the gated house, the duo tortured the 20 year-old Higenyi, whom they also put on chains and confined him in a room without food for three days.
Higenyi’s body with multiple wounds on both of his hands, neck tied with trousers, was dumped in a trench where the scene exhibited a back-and-forth movement of people, which deepened investigations by detectives.
What You Need to Know:
DNA Forensic Analysis is a scientific examination of DNA evidence found at a crime scene, on a victim’s body, or on a suspected person.
It aims to identify individuals, determine relationships, and reconstruct events. In a murder case, like in this article, DNA analysis can help in a number of ways:
To identify the victim, link suspects to the crime scene or victim, reconstruct the crime scene, and determine the sequence of events.
A DNA Scientific Analysis involves examining DNA samples using various techniques, including PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction which amplifies DNA sequences, Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analysis which compares DNA profiles, Mitochondrial DNA analysis which examines maternal lineage and Y-STR analysis which examines paternal lineage.
Why Police Carry Out DNA Analysis:
Police collect DNA evidence from victim’s body to identify the victim, determine cause of death, and detect potential suspects.
They also do so on suspects to link them to the crime scene or victim, and they also collect DNA evidence from the crime scene to identify potential suspects, reconstruct events, and detect trace evidence. They also get from retrieved body to identify the victim, determine cause of death, and detect potential suspects.
Standard Procedures:
Evidence collection in which the police collect DNA using swabs, bloodstains, or other bodily fluids. DNA evidence is stored in a secure facility to prevent contamination, while DNA is extracted from evidence using specialized techniques.
DNA amplification-DNA is amplified using PCR while DNA Analysis-profiles are compared using STR, mitochondrial, or Y-STR analysis.
Profile comparison:DNA profiles are compared to known individuals,suspects,or DNA databases.
Results Interpretation:
Experts interpret DNA results to determine matches, exclusions, or inconclusive findings.
Verification: Results are verified through additional testing or re-examination.
According to experts, these strong procedures are there to ensure the integrity and reliability of DNA in evidence in criminal investigations, like the alleged murder of Higenyi in this story.
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