Three immigration officers who were arrested earlier this month on charges of trafficking cocaine, a banned psychotropic substance, have been further remanded until April 3, 2023, due to the absence of their case file.
Entebbe Chief Magistrate Stella Maris Amabillis remanded the trio further after State Attorney Annet Janet Nabulobi informed the court that she was standing in for a colleague, Janet Kitimbo, who was away. Nabulobi also reported that the state file on the matter had been called by superiors following a complaint by one of the accused.
The suspect Denis Mugabi Mwamba, Dan Banan, an internal security officer, and police constable No 46879 PC Florence Awino were arrested on March 1st, 2023. Their colleague, Caroline Orishaba, an immigration assistant, remains at large. They were accused of facilitating Raphael Pius Madu, a Nigerian who was traveling on Passport No B0041124, to traffic 9.8 kilograms of cocaine estimated at Shillings 4.5 billion.
The origin of the banned substance concealed in packets labeled ‘coffee’ was named Brazil, while the final destination is unknown. They first appeared before Grade I Magistrate Stella Okwong Paculal, who didn’t allow them to plead to the charges as she had no jurisdiction to hear the case.
After explaining to the accused about the absence of the state file in the matter, owing to a complaint by one of them, Amabillis took time to hammer a consensus with defense counsel, including criminal law guru McDousman Kabega, Edward Rutakirwa, and Kelechi Azubuike, over whether the accused should take a plea this time or wait for the return of the file.
“I think it is better we wait for the return of the file, then they can take a plea. Because if any one of them takes a plea, and the file comes back when probably they have been struck off, what happens?” Magistrate Amabillis said, to which the advocates concurred without much ado.
“I don’t know the nature of the complaint that was contained in the letter by one of the suspects,” she also added. The charge sheet indicates that Madu, the principal accused, was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of psychotropic substances and illegal trafficking of psychotropic substances.
The first count is said to be in contravention of sections 4(1) and 2(9) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 2016. The accused airport staff were only charged with the second count of illegal trafficking.
Undercount two, under which all the suspects were charged, it was alleged that on March 1st, 2023, at the Arrivals Hold Baggage Screening Point at the passenger terminal building in Entebbe Airport, Wakiso District, without lawful excuse, the suspects trafficked to Uganda from Brazil 9.8 kilograms of cocaine, a prohibited substance, contrary to section 5 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 2016.
The consignment had been cleared by security and immigration personnel, disguised as coffee packets. Under the law, section 4, illegal possession of narcotics is punishable with “a fine of not less than five hundred currency points (100 shillings) or three times the market value of the drug, whichever is greater; or to imprisonment of not less than ten years but not exceeding twenty-five years or both.” For psychotropics, the punishment is “a fine of not less than one hundred and fifty currency points (30 million Shillings).