For several years, Paddy Sserunjogi, alias Sobi, allegedly terrorized Kampala City with his gang of about 30 to 50 men. According to the police, Sobi’s gang conducted a range of criminal activities including petty theft, robbery and murder in the Kampala central business district and the city suburbs. Police say while many members of his alleged gang were arrested and convicted for crimes they committed, Sobi was always released on bail whenever they arrested and took him to court. Until his arrest and remand in 2012, it was a cat and mouse chase between police and Sobi that lasted more than three years, with the then Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Ibin Ssenkumbi alleging that Sobi was being offered preferential treatment by the magistrates at Buganda Road Court. According to police intelligence records, Sobi, 36, was a one-time police informer who turned rogue and became the leader of a group of petty criminals who snatched bags and phones on Kampala streets and concerts. “He organised people to snatch bags and phones, especially at concerts and was often cited in robberies, especially of Chinese shops and forex bureaus,” Mr Ssenkumbi, says. Sobi is accused of masterminding several robberies of forex bureaus in Kampala. At the end of 2010, Sobi was arrested and charged at Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court with theft, he was remanded for a day before being granted bail. Less than a month later, Sobi was again arrested and new charges preferred against him. The State argued that Sobi should not be granted bail because the last time he was released on bail he allegedly committed a crime. However, the presiding magistrate granted Sobi bail again.

Mr Ssenkumbi says less than three months later he was arrested again. “We took him to court and hoped that the magistrate would understand our predicament. He was remanded for a day and appeared the next day for bail hearing,” Mr Ssenkumbi says.

When the then Kampala Metropolitan Police commander, Mr Grace Turyagumanawe, heard that the ‘notorious thug’ was about to be released again, he reportedly prepared an ‘operation re-arrest Sobi’. Police sealed off the area surrounding the court. The order was to have him immediately re-arrested on new pending charges. Sobi was released on bail at about 3pm. “When Sobi realised that he was going to be re-arrested, he kept within the court premises only for police to be informed that he had once again been remanded an hour after he was released on bail,” Mr Ssenkumbi says. He was released the next day without knowledge of police. “It was baffling; it was like the magistrates were on his side. It had never happened before and up to date we cannot understand what transpired behind the court walls,” Mr Ssenkumbi says. In 2013, the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, went on record blaming the Judiciary for increased crime. He said the justice system in Uganda is promoting injustice with a number of criminals getting released by the courts. “Criminal justice is based on the principle that you would rather let nine criminals go free than inconvenience one innocent person. The criminals have money and get very good lawyers. At the end of the day, a judge has to only have a simple doubt to release the suspect,” Gen Kayihura said.

Forex bureau robberies

Sobi was involved in many of the robberies of city forex bureaus. The robbery of Llyod Forex Bureau was one of the most brazen and dramatic robberies in the history of Kampala to date. Traders and boda boda cyclists on Luwum Street still talk about the ‘Sobi robbery’ at Llyod Forex Bureau. A seven-man armed gang, allegedly led by Sobi, stormed the forex bureau and robbed large amounts of money. However, police arrived before they had fled the crime scene. Jim Kato, a boda boda cyclist who witnessed the robbery, says the thugs ran into the streets and deliberately dispersed an unspecified amount of money on the road and pavements before getting into a car and fleeing. People scampered to collect the money and unwittingly blocked the road, foiling police pursuit of the thugs. “All the passersby and boda boda cyclists got on the road to pick the falling notes and it was only after they had taken off that we realized that in picking the money we had blocked the police from pursuing them,” Mr Kato says. On April 23, 2012, Sobi, a body builder, allegedly led a gang that raided Spot Cash Forex Bureau in Arua Park in Kampala and robbed about Shs120 million. The thugs shot and killed 27-year-old Agnes Bireru during the robbery. The last robbery he is accused of committing before his arrest in 2012 was carried out in a forex bureau at Majestic Plaza. The thugs reportedly stole Shs90 million.

Basing on information from the police crime intelligence department, officers at the Kampala Central Police Station launched an operation on William Street near Katumwa Sport Centre to arrest Sobi after he had reportedly gone into hiding. A police team headed by the then officer in-charge of the Central Police Station sighted Sobi standing near DFCU Bank and arrested him. The police officers searched the surrounding areas for his alleged gang members. One suspect, Ivan Mugerwa, was arrested on top of a building with a gun. Then Kampala Central Police Station Commander, Mr James Ruhweza, said Sobi had on several occasions evaded arrest because he had a sophisticated network of informants who would tip him off whenever police approached his hideout. Mr Ruhweza said the suspects might have been targeting a customer in DFCU Bank on William Street at the time of their arrest. At the time of arrest, Mr. Senkumbi says Sobi had 10 fresh charges against him, including murder and robbery, among others. While some of the cases are at the stage of trial and the murder file is yet to be committed to the High Court, Ms Jane Kajuga, the Directorate of Public Prosecution spokesperson says: “We are waiting for the case to be committed to the High Court so trial can start. We are ready.”

Legally Speaking

The Penal Code Act of Uganda provides for Robbery under Section 285 and states that any person who steals anything and at or immediately after the time of stealing it, uses or threatens to use actual violence to any person or property in order to obtain or retain the thing stolen or to prevent or overcome resistance to its being stolen or retained commits robbery. This offence is punishable on conviction by the magistrate’s court to imprisonment for ten years and on conviction by the High court to imprisonment for life.

For prosecution to secure a conviction on robbery there must be proof that there was a theft, that actual violence at, before or after theft was used, that the accused were armed with a deadly weapon during or after the theft and that it is the accused who participated in the robbery.

In this instance for Impartial lawyers to assist,

Step 1 They would advise you report the incident to the nearest police station.

Step 2 They would advise the Police to conduct thorough investigations and ensure that all relevant investigations are carried and the accused are charged.

Step 3 They would advise the DPP to prove all elements of Robbery beyond reasonable and ensure that the accused are prosecuted.

Article courtesy of The Daily Monitor newspaper and edited by Advocate Vera Nawumbe