KAMPALA: Suspects arrested in the Usafi Mosque raid have reportedly confessed that Muzamil Bikanga, a city lawyer, was part of the group that planned the kidnap and murder of Susan Magara, PML Daily has learnt.
Bikanga was arrested on Thursday by CMI operatives after security agencies allegedly established that he had telephone contact with one of the suspects who escaped arrest in the mosque raid last week. The fugitive is said to be the lawyer’s relative.
And now it has emerged that Bikanga allegedly planned Magara’s kidnap after establishing that her father was a stable businessman. It is alleged that the lawyer, who has known Magara’s father for long as they are all Banyoro, first approached him with a proposal to sell him a huge chunk of land. This, security sources allege, was intended to establish Mr Fitzegerald John Magara’s financial standing so as to plan a way of getting the money from him.
At this moment, sources add, Mr Magara turned down the business deal. This, however, reportedly did not deter Bikanga, who is alleged to have reached out to his accomplices so as to plan the kidnap so as to get the money from him.
Security sources said at this time, the contacted killers then began to hatch a plan to trap Magara, who often went to gym in the evening. It is alleged that they failed on several attempts before eventually trapping her on February 7 on Kabakanjagala Road in Lubaga as she went home.
Security sources said they later found that Bikanga had made several phone contacts with one of the suspects arrested in the Usafi raid. Security sources allege that the lawyer has been involved in past shady dealings, a reason they claim he could have a hand in the murder.
Security sources are now investigating between him and Agaba Patrick, who suspects confessed that he was involved in the murder plot.
Agaba was arrested in South Africa in March and government has since been trying to have him extradited to Uganda to face trial.
The investigating team believes that Magara’s kidnap was planned by a group of syndicate of criminals who are also involved in several other murders in the country.
The security agencies have so far arrested 9 suspects since the mosque raid. They have since found several exhibits over the murder, among them the Magara torture video, the SIM cards allegedly used, and the house where they believe the crime was committed. They have impounded vehicles believed to have been used to drive Magara around during the kidnap ordeal.
