Gulu Grade One Magistrate’s court presided over by Paul Owino yesterday convicted a senior UPDF officer over the death of Tommy Odong Olanya, a Councilor 4 representing Te-Gwana South, Pece Division in Gulu Municipality.
Maj Geoffrey Otim, 45, had appeared before the Gulu Grade One Magistrate’s court on Monday charged with six counts of reckless driving, causing death through reckless driving and two counts of causing bodily injuries through reckless driving.
Others charges are; driving without a valid driving permit and driving a vehicle without a valid insurance.
Prosecution led by William Bayo alleges that on September 15, 2016 at around 7:30PM while driving vehicle registration number UAU 746 R along Gulu- Kampala Highway, through reckless driving, Maj Otim caused the death of Tommy Odong Olanya, 39.
Olanya met his death when Major Otim’s vehicle knocked a boda boda motor bike taxi which in which the late Olanya was travelling. Olanya died on the spot while the boda-boda rider sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital.
Bayo told court that the suspect also injured two other people through reckless driving on that fateful day. The injured were identified as Mike Ouma and Charles Ojok.
Maj Otim pleaded guilty to five of the six charges and was accordingly convicted on his own plea of guilty.
However Otim denied injuring Charles Ojok.
Magistrate Owino set February 20, 2017 as a date for hearing the case in which the convict is accused of injuring Charles Ojok and remanded Otim to Gulu Central Government Prison until February 20 when he will appear in court again.
On the first count of reckless driving, court ordered Otim to pay a fine of 1.2 Million shillings or face a 2-year-jail term if he fails.
On the second count of causing death, Otim was fined 600,000 shillings or face a 2-year- jail term.
On the third and fourth count of bodily injuries, the court fined Otim on each of the counts 300,000 shillings or faces a 2- jail- term.
He was also fined 600,000 shillings for driving a vehicle without a valid driving permit or face a 1-year-jail term. Additionally the UPDF soldier was also fined 200,000 shillings for driving a vehicle without a valid insurance.
