Senior Reporter
The court in Kabale District on Tuesday morning adjourned the case involving Shamim Batariro, a twenty-eight-year-old accused of stealing a motor vehicle belonging to the Diocese of Kigezi during the burial of the late Apollo Nyegamahe, also known as Aponye, in Rukiga district.
The Chief Magistrate’s court had scheduled the hearing for Batariro, who is accused of stealing a grey Suzuki vehicle with registration number UAT 478N, valued at Shs 17.7 million.
However, due to Chief Magistrate Derrick Byamugisha’s absence from official duties in Kampala, the hearing has been rescheduled for September 26, 2023.
Julius Mutabazi, the Kabale Grade One Magistrate, has ordered Batariro’s remand to Ndorwa Government Prison until the rescheduled hearing.
Batariro, a businesswoman from Ruhinja village in Wakiso district, stands accused of stealing the Suzuki vehicle on July 12, 2023, which had transported clerics from Kikungiri Archdeaconry to the burial service in Kitaburaza village, Muhanga town council.
Reports suggest that Batariro made a stopover in Rubare town before continuing her journey at night.
However, she was intercepted by police at the Nyeihanga town council checkpoint around 10:00 p.m. after a stolen car report had been filed at the Muhanga police station.
This led to notifications being sent to other police stations along the Kabale-Mbarara highway.
Upon her arrest, Batariro was found in possession of nine vehicle master keys, five sticks of marijuana, 500,000 Ugandan shillings in cash, and 2 trays of eggs.
