The Politically-motivated case against Brigadier Michael Ondoga, the former Ugandan contingent Commander in AMISOM peacekeeping forces in Somalia By Freedom and Unity Front Team, 23 June 2014) The Legal team: Brigadier Michael Ondoga has been variously represented, among others by Kampala city lawyers Geoffrey Ntambirweki and Frank Kanduho, as well as captain Nasser Drago. The charges: When the trial of Brigadier Michael Ondoga started in October 2013, he was charged with eight counts relating to theft of fuel and food rations for UPDF peacekeeping troops in Somalia. However, according to reports from the court, most of the 10 state witnesses, who had been called in to testify against the Brigadier, instead showered praises on their former commander. For example, Lt. Edison Muhanguzi, a former Commander of Battle Group 10 in AMISOM talked fondly about the Brigadier saying that “… the accused had never gone wrong in his work and was surprised when he was recalled to Uganda and charged in the Court Martial in November 2013”. Surprisingly, no sooner had the State seen that the original charges against Brigadier Ondoga were crumbling in the Court martial, did they rush to amend the charge sheet tabling 12 new charges of “telling lies and issuing false documents..” Even the state prosecutor acknowledged publically that the ‘theft’ charges would have been difficult for them to prove in the court. They, therefore, sought to change the charges, bring forth a totally new charge sheet, but which still is no less ridiculous than the first one, and which continues to have wholly trumped-up accusations. Why the trial of Brigadier Ondoga and his fellow officers is politically motivated: Assuming that Ondoga and his fellow commanders committed some of the officers they are accused of committing, like stealing fuel and food rations and selling them on the black market, etc, the question to ask is why is it only Ondoga and his comrades are being effectively persecuted for these offences, when there are numerous examples of more serious crimes committed by military officers, ministers, politicians, and other leaders, who never-the-less remain scot free. For example, in the same Somalia, some Museveni allies are reported to have sold arms to Al Shabab, and yet they have been treated with kids’ gloves. Is stealing food rations and selling them, accusations that were originally levelled at Brigadier Ondoga, worse than selling guns to Al Shabab? The fact is that Brigadier Ondoga is not even being treated like the common thief they claim he is, but more like a suspected guerrilla fighter or rebel – even in captivity in the military prison, he is heavily and closely guarded 6 military police operatives at all times. Other examples are those involving General Salim Saleh, the brother of Mr Museveni, who has been incriminated in numerous crimes of looting natural resources in Congo, stealing money from Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB), public money in Uganda, etc but he has never seen eve one day in a Ugandan prison. Many other senior army officers close to Museveni have been accused of plundering the natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in Sudan, and in the same Somalia, where for example General Salim Saleh took advantage of being Museveni’s brother to acquire lucrative contracts supplying private security guards for the international peace keeping mission to Somalia. Inside Uganda ministers have been accused of stealing CHOGM funds, Global Fund money meant for dealing with TB, malaria, AIDS, etc. Brigadier Ondoga, if has stolen anything at all, is not the biggest thief in the Ugandan government / army. But why then is he alone and some of his colleagues, who are deemed to be unsympathetic to the so-called Muhoozi project, being treated in the harshest possible manner to an extent where their lives are now thought to be in real danger? Noteworthy, Brigadier Michael Ondoga was viewed by Museveni and his advisers as being sympathetic to and secretly working for General Aronda Nyakairima, who was the then Commander of Defence Forces, but has since been fired from that job having been mentioned in a letter written by General David Sejusa (currently a leading member of a Ugandan liberation group called Freedom and Unity Front) as being one of the senior army officers and ministers who were against the imposition by Museveni of his son Brigadier Muhoozi Kaneirugaba as future president of Uganda. Aronda was also linked to the country’s prime minister and secretary general of the ruling party, Amama Mbabazi, another senior figure named in General Sejusa’s explosive missive that triggered the backfiring of the Muhoozi project. Inside sources with knowledge of events surrounding Brigadier Ondoga’s trials and tribulations have spoken of Ondoga being suspected by Museveni, his brother General Salim Saleh, and Museveni’s son Muhoozi, of a having been a recruiter of serving army men and officers to be used at an appropriate time to oppose Museveni’s attempt to impose his son Muhoozi as President. It was therefore not surprising that as soon as general Aronda Nyakairima was removed from the post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the entire command of UPDF in Somalia, who were led by Brigadier Michael Ondoga were removed and many of them including Ondoga were detained… Why? These arrests were triggered by a visit to Somalia by Museveni’s son Muhoozi, during which a disaffected Ugandan soldier bluntly and publically questioned him to explain how he managed to get a very high military rank in such a short time, when many long-serving officers were not being promoted. This soldier’s gesture, simple though it was, was taken very seriously by Museveni and his son, as it was an indication that there were soldiers within UPDF who were prepared to publically question the president’s plan to impose his son on the country. It was gesture too far. The soldier was arrested and flown to Kampala, and an immediate military investigation was instituted to look into the ‘affairs’ of the Ugandan contingent in Somalia. Several other soldiers were arrested in the follow up clamp down on the soldiers, and the climax became the arrest and on-going torture and brutalisation the overall commander of that force that had thus far represented Uganda and the African continent so perfectly: It should be noted that while still serving as Commander of the Ugandan contingent in AMISOM, Brigadier Ondoga was commended for a job well done by a multitude of institutions, including the United Nations, the Africa Union, the African Parliament, IGAD and others. Even President Museveni himself, when it suited him at some moment praised the Brigadier as an excellent, flawless commander. It is for that reason that Brigadier Ondoga was posted to Command troops in Somali on two separate occasions. Brigadier Michael Ondoga’s current plight and predicament: Brigadier Ondoga who was the overall commander of the Ugandan troop contingent in Somalia, is one of the most highly qualified and experienced military professionals in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces. He was originally arrested and remanded in Makindye military prison in November 2013. As one can deduct from the aforementioned story of the Uganda contingent in Somalia, the facts speak for themselves. The brutalisation of Ondoga and his soldiers is nothing but political. And, the persons behind the plight of these Ugandan citizens is none other than Museveni, his son Muhoozi and the President’s brother, General Salim Saleh. Torment and violations of constitutional rights and freedoms of Brigadier Ondoga within the Ugandan military court martial system. Denial of bail, etc After spending 5 months in Makindye military prison, a notorious outfit, that is well known for routinely violating the human rights of inmates, through torture, poisoning, daily beatings, even murdering of inmates, Brigadier Ondoga was given bail, but this was immediately cancelled, believed to be on Museveni’s personal orders. In fact the bail was not merely denied through the court as would be expected. The night before Brigadier Ondoga was supposed to be given bail, he was kidnaped from prison and taken to a ‘safe house’ (secret military detention house) where he was and told to abandon bail nonsense. This was done by Museveni’s son Brigadier Muhoozi Kaneirugaba using an intelligence officer Maj Albert Kashakamba. From the safe house, Ondoga was returned to an underground cell. Soon after the then chairman of court martial, Brigadier Fred Tolit was hastily removed by Museveni, and the current one, Brigadier Moses Ddiba Ssentongo, brought in to oversee the Ondoga case. As a matter, Brigadier Ssentogo, who in March 2014 clashed with the State / UPDF prosecutor Captain Fredrick Kangwamu on the matter of granting bail to Ondoga, is himself being removed, as the regime says his term is over and a new military court chairman is to be appointed. At the court martial sitting in March 2014 Brigadier Ssentongo harshly told off the state / UPDF prosecutor that Ondoga deserved bail and had met all conditions to attain such bail. He noted that Brigadier Ondoga needed immediate “superior and specialized” treatment that could not be provided in the military health facilities where he was being treated. The military court chairman querried the state’s reluctance to permit Brigadier Ondoga bail, saying “Do you want him to collapse here? The person has said that he is sick, why don’t you allow him to access treatment elsewhere?” Brigadier Ondoga is believed to be sick and suffering from a serious illness, which requires specialised treatment. In May 2014 the Brigadier was operated on at Bombo military hospital, reportedly to remove a ‘boil’ in his urinal system, but there are speculations that the army officer may be suffering from the effects of poisoning. It is believed that Ondoga collapsed in the military cells before being taken for the surgery at Bombo military hospital. The Museveni regime has specialised in the elimination of political opponents through poisoning. There are growing fears that Brigadier Michael Ondoga may be about to breathe his last in a similar fashion to many more Ugandans who were suspected of opposing the Museveni regime. The regime, however, continues to refuse to allow him to be treated elsewhere apart from military facilities inside the same military barracks such as Makindye and Bombo where his family fears he may be harmed. To make matters worse, Brig. Ondoga has been severally refused bail, even as he underwent treatment, even surgery in the military health centres. Flimsy reasons are being used to make sure the court martial does not sit to consider the bail application by Ondoga’s legal team. An example was just before Ondoga was taken to Bombo military hospital for surgery, Ondoga’s family and lawyers were awaiting another sitting of the court martial but that did not happen, for supposed failure of one of the court martial members to turn up as he “had gone to burry a relative.” But, even more importantly, as stated above, the court martial chairman, Brigadier Moses Ddiba Ssentongo, is himself now being replaced, most likely because of his insistence that Brigadier Ondoga deserves to be released on bail in order for him to go for treatment outside the military establishment system. Meanwhile, Brigadier Ondoga’s health is said to be deteriorating and his family and relatives are bracing themselves for the worst to come. In a last ditch attempt to get freedom for her husband, and save his life, the wife of Brigadier Ondoga has appealed directly to President Museveni and his brother General Salim Saleh to release her husband on humanitarian grounds. The regime has instead reacted by freezing Brigadier Ondoga’s bank account, thus denying the family the remaining avenue of sustaining themselves. Ondoga’s wife, Ms Lucie Ondoga, has reacted to the injustice with these cryptic words: “The children and myself have equally become prisoners; we are not detained at Makindye (military barracks like Ondoga) but we are prisoners at home,” she said. She added: “I have a very difficult time finding food. Now I have a crisis with school fees (following freezing of the bank account). I have a crisis managing Ondoga’s elderly parents, also my own elderly parents are ill. The home people are almost always depressed because Brig Ondoga was their bread winner.” Brigadier Ondoga is also quoted by his wife as stating similarly that the whole family is prisoner of the regime. She cites him as saying: “Now my children are also prisoners, my wife is also a prisoner, my old parents are also prisoners; what did I do to the institution of the UPDF, my comrades and my Commander-in-Chief to deserve this?” Useful links: I am being threatened not to pursue Ondoga’s release – wife monitor.co.ug/News/National/I-am-being-threatened-not-to-pursue-Ondoga-s-release-wife/-/688334/2352054/-/10ymsqaz/-/index.html Army freezes brigadier Ondoga’s account monitor.co.ug/News/National/Army-freezes-Brig-Ondoga-s-account/-/688334/2352058/-/90vfc9/-/index.html Ondoa charged without following proper procedure monitor.co.ug/News/National/Ondoga-charged-without-following-proper-procedure-/-/688334/2335014/-/y8v9b/-/index.html Brig Ondoga trial takes new twist monitor.co.ug/News/National/Brig-Ondoga-trial-takes-new-twist/-/688334/2141468/-/gm9cv9/-/index.html Brigadier Ondoga undergoes operation newvision.co.ug/news/655241-brig-ondoga-undergoes-operation.html Brig.Ondoga faces court martial nbs.ug/details.php?option=acat&a=2390#.U6QeTyxOXuh
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 11:43:28 +0000
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