Private Okello Ronald, a Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) officer attached to the 5th Division Engineering Regiment, pleaded guilty to a charge of murder on Thursday afternoon.
He was convicted and sentenced by the High Court presided over by Lady Justice Sarah Birungi, to serve a custodial sentence of 30 years.
The murder was violently committed in June 2024 at Abolonyero village in Kole district.
On June 29, 2024, Private Okello instructed his wife, Ejang Doris, whom he suspected to be in love with Opio Geoffrey, to lure Opio Geoffrey to their home, where he violently killed him.
After killing him, he dumped his body about 100 meters away, and fled to Pader district, where he was arrested by the Police.
Also read: Soldier in custody after shooting civilians in self-defence in Kole
“The convict was a serving member of the armed forces entrusted with discipline, responsibility, and the lawful use of force strictly within the confines of duty. Instead, he grossly abused that position of trust,” the state prosecution said.
It added the sentence of 30 years imprisonment serves the purposes of punishment, deterrence, and denunciation. It reinforces the principle that no individual, regardless of rank or position, is above the law.
The case was prosecuted by Jonathan Okello, Chief State Attorney, from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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