The case in which jailed businessman Muhammad Ssebuufu is seeking to overturn a 40 year jail punishment for murder of Donnah Katushabe awaits judgment before the Court of Appeal.
A Coram of three judges of the Appeal; Fredrick Egonda Ntende, Catherine Bamugemereire and Christopher Madrama said they will deliver judgement on notice after hearing submissions from Ssebuufu and the State.
Ssebuufu who is currently serving his punishment at Luzira prison is challenging the 2016 conviction and sentence faulting the trial (rtd) judge of the High Court, Flavia Anglin Ssenoga for convicting him of the October 2015 Kidnap, murder and robbery of Katushabe.
Ssebuufu, the proprietor of Pine Car Bond was jointly convicted with Godfrey Kayizzi, Phillip Mirambi, Yoweri Kitayimbwa, Damaseni Ssetongo, Paul Tasingika and Shaban Odutu.
Another convict, Steven Lwanga was sentenced to 7 years in prison for being an accessory after the commission of an offense.
Prosecution at the trial court adduced evidence to the effect that Ssebuufu together with others already convicted kidnapped the businessman Katushabe from her home at Bwebajja on Entebbe road after she failed to clear a Shs9 million car balance at Pine car bond on Lumumba Avenue, tortured her to death and robbed her of mobile phone.
Ugandan enterprises urged to explore regional oil and gas opportunitiesWhile passing sentence, however, Justice Ssenoga explained that she considered the despicable manner in which Ssebuufu and his co-convicts demanded the Shs9 million from Katushabe adding that this will sound a strong warning to other would-be offenders.
Evidence from prosecution witnesses showed that when Katushabe failed to pay the balance, Sebuufu hired a team of his security guards to pick her from her residence in Bwebajja on Entebbe road and drove to his office at Pine Car Bond on Lumumba Avenue from where she was kicked and beaten there by causing grievous wounds to her body, which led to her death on October 21 2015.
But Ssebuufu, through his lawyers, contends that he is dissatisfied with both his conviction, jail sentence and an order for him to compensate late Katusabe’s family with Shs100 million.
Ssebuufu, who attended the court proceedings via Zoom, also contends that that the prosecution’s evidence did not place him anywhere near the crime scene nor does it explain his role in the kidnap and murder of Katushabe.