The Mbarara Magistrate’s Court has issued a warrant of arrest against Sergeant Denis Bataringaya of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence over his role in an acid attack against Mr Amos Katurebe, the councillor for Nyamityobora Ward in Kakoba Division, Mbarara Municipality, last year.
State Attorney Anthony Kurigishule told the court on Wednesday that on January 19, he summoned Sgt Bataringaya but he failed to appear.
Sgt Bataringaya is a young brother to Mr Bonny Tashobya, the Mbarara Municipal Council speaker, who is being tried for masterminding the attack.
In the aftermath, four people, including Tashobya, were arrested to help with the investigations
One of them, Geoffrey Ssali, a Rwandan national, was last month sentenced to 20 years in jail after he confessed to attacking Katureebe with acid.
Ssali told court that he worked with the other suspects on the plan to murder the councilor, but failed on several attempts to fulfill it.
He says they later zeroed on using acid, which they bought and tested on a lizard to ensure in was corrosive enough.
According to prosecution, Ssali and others on November 8, 2017 at 8:30pm travelled on a boda boda together and waylaid the victim. When he arrived, one of the assailants called out his name and when he came to see who was calling, they emerged and poured a jug of acid on his face.
Ssali confessed to the attempted murder charges, telling court that he worked with the other suspects on the plan to murder the councilor, but failed on several attempts to fulfill it.
He says they later zeroed on using acid, which they bought and tested on a lizard to ensure in was corrosive enough.
At the time Katurebe was burnt, he was slated to testify before Justice Catherine Bamugemerire’s land commission on the Kenkombe municipality land which was allegedly sold by the municipality speaker.
