Jane Frances Abodo, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has decided to drop murder charges against Patrick Kashaija, also known as Pato, in the high-profile Susan Magara murder case. The announcement was made in court during a recent hearing, bringing relief to the accused.
A “nolle prosequi,” a formal notice to withdraw the charges, was presented to the court by senior state attorney Irene Nakimbugwe on behalf of the DPP. Nakimbugwe cited logistical issues as the reason for not being able to proceed with the case and submitted the nolle prosequi, signed by the DPP, to withdraw the charges against Pato.
Following the receipt of the nolle prosequi, the case was adjourned until October 23, 2023, when the trial judge, Alex Ajiji, will begin hearing the matter. The decision to drop charges against Pato is a significant development in a case that has garnered widespread attention.
Pato had been facing charges in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Susan Magara, the 28-year-old daughter of businessman John Magara. Susan was abducted on February 7, 2018, while driving back home in the Mengo area of Kampala. Her car was found abandoned, and her kidnappers demanded a ransom of $1 million (approximately shillings 3.65 billion) from her family for her release.
Tragically, Susan was murdered, and her body was discovered three weeks later in Kigo, Wakiso district, after being dumped. At the time of her murder, part of the ransom, about shillings 700 million, had been paid to the kidnappers.
According to the prosecution’s case, the accused, along with others who remain at large, kidnapped Susan with the intent of procuring a ransom for her release. The indictment also points to a ransom scheme orchestrated by Yakub Byensi, a former combatant with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, who hailed from the same region as Susan. Byensi, along with Lubega, who previously worked with Susan’s mother in Container Village, is still at large.
The prosecution alleges that the suspects had inside information that they used to track and eventually kidnap Susan on her way home. They took her to various locations, including Nakandi’s home in Nateete and Amir Bukenya’s home in Konge II Makindye. During this time, two of Susan’s fingers were cut off and sent to her family as a gruesome demonstration of the kidnappers’ intent to kill her if the ransom was not paid.
The decision to drop charges against Pato is a significant development in a case that has spanned several years and captured the attention of the nation. The Susan Magara case has been a high-profile and deeply tragic story that has affected many, and this latest twist raises questions about the progress of the investigation and the potential for further developments in the future.
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