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In November 2021, Lira High Court Judge Grace Duncan sentenced Bonny Okello to 35 years in prison..
By Acipa Doreen
Lira – February 11, 2022: Lira High Court has on Wednesday sentenced to 60 years a man who killed his sister for failing to pay his debt.
The convict had also attempted to kill the deceased husband.
Denis Ogong, 36, was sentenced to 40 years for killing his biological sister, Silvia Amoli who was 46, another 20 years for the attempted murder of Mathew Oweka, his brother-in-law.
Anthony Okello, State Prosecutor told Court presided over by Justice Duncan Gaswaya that the Ogong on April 9, 2020, hired two men: Bonny Okello and Solomon Nyeko at shs5 million to kill his sister.
The same Court was told that Ogong made a down payment of shs1 million with a promise that the balance would be paid after executing the mission.
State Prosecutor said Ogong became friends with Okello and Nyeko in 2008 when they were jailed at Lira government prison. The three were later transferred to Lugore government prison farm until 2011 when they were discharged.
Court heard that Ogong borrowed his sister some money but he demanded it in vain until he threatened to kill her.
The next day, April 10, 2020, in the afternoon, Ogong did surveillance to confirm if her sister had returned home, and after confirming her presence, he then tipped the hired killers to execute the task.
On the same day at around 9 pm, the hired killers went to Oweka’s home in Gwengabara cell, Angwetangwet ward in Lira City East Division, and found him in the sitting room watching TV with his children.
Okello and Nyeko then entered with a gun but Ogong decided to remain outside.
On November 17, 2021, Bonny Okello pleaded quality before the Lira High Court Judge Grace Duncan who sentenced him to 35 years in prison while Ogong denied the allegation of committing the crime even when Okello testified in Court that they were hired by Ogong.
Other people who testified before Court were two police officers who investigated the case and the deceased’s husband Mathew Oweka.
On Wednesday, the State prosecutor earlier told Court that the convict was not a first-time offender and being the mastermind behind the plans for the murder of his sister, he should be given a maximum sentence of death.
But his defense lawyer, Quirinus Oyugi Onono requested the Court to give the accused leniency, averring that it’s unconstitutional to give someone the death penalty under Article 24 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda.
Ogong prayed to the Court to forgive him and give him a few sentences since he has health complications and that he is the only son left in the family taking care of his 73-year-old father.
He also pleaded before the Court that he broke his hand in 2006.
While delivering his judgment, Justice Duncan Gaswaga announced 40 years in prison for murder and 20 years for attempted murder.
He said the two sentences shall run concurrently and the period the convict spent on remand: 1 year and 9 months should be counted as part of these sentences.
