I witness has told the General Court Martial in Makindye that he was tortured and forced to implicate former CMI boss Maj Gen James Birungi on several cases including murder.
Hamza Lyavala, a former ADF member who was last week convicted on his own plea of guilty was on Monday being cross examined by lawyer Frank Kanduho when he revealed that former CIM deputy chief, Brig Abdul Rugumayo tortured and forced him to change his statement to implicate Maj Gen Birungi.
He told court that he recorded a 69- page statement in three days in the presence of Brig Rugumayo, Maj Habyarimana, Maj Ssekajja and Maj Okumu and that during this time, the former deputy CMI boss was interrogating him.
“He(Brig Rugumayo) was very harsh on me. After writing the first statement, he tore it because according to him, it was not satisfactory. He said he didn’t find it satisfactory as he wanted me to implicate Maj Gen Birungi,” Lyavala said on Monday.
Asked by the defence lawyer whether there were words given to him to be included in the statement pinning Maj Gen Birungi, he answered in the affirmative.
“He wanted Gen Birungi to be implicated in the case of murder. He also wanted me to say that I had met Gen Birungi after he had handed over office to Gen Otto. He also wanted me to say that Gen Birungi had sent us on the operation to kill people,” Lyavala told court.
He insisted that he was tortured by Brig Rugumayo who asked him to record another statement on June, 29, 2026 after the first one on June, 22 was torn into pieces.
The witness was however accused of being inconsistent in his statements when he at one time in his statement he said he was 31 years yet he had indicated he was born in 1993.
He however told court it was a mistake for him to write that he was 31 years.
The defence lawyer however put it to the witness that he was money-minded after he admitted that he received shs150 million on the orders of President Museveni to get him a house and shs100million for rehabilitation after denouncing terrorism and continued working with ADF.
Lyavala was however quick that he was working with ADF as an informer for government, specifically, the Defence Intelligence and Security.
When asked whether he didn’t mind about innocent people killed during the fake bombs plot at Munyonyo Martyrs Basilica that he was part of, Lyavala said he didn’t know that people were going to die.
“I wasn’t aware Summaya(Byaruhanga) was going to die. They(JAAT) had brought trained soldiers whom I thought knew what to do and that were to arrest her and detonate the bomb,” Lyavala said.
He put the blame on Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga whom he said was his handler.
“He is there(Lt Col Byaruhanga). You need to ask him. Mine was the job of an informant and had nothing to do.”
The General Court Martial chairman, Brig Richard Tukacungurwa adjourned the case to October, 26 for further hearing.