TWO Ugandan soldiers who murdered an Irish priest were executed last night despite a desperate appeal for clemency from the family of their victim. A military tribunal sentenced the two soldiers to death yesterday for the murder of Fr Declan O'Toole, who was shot dead along with his driver and cook in the north-east of the country last Thursday.
A close friend of the O'Toole family said they wanted clemency for the 31-year-old's killers and a proper investigation into how the missionary and his associates died.
"They feel that two wrongs do not make a right. The family are a beacon in all of this and are an example to everyone," said Fr Richard Gibbons, parish priest in Fr O'Toole's home village of Headford, Co Galway.
The two soldiers are understood to have confessed to the
murders. They were tried by military tribunal close to the scene of the
shooting near the town of Kitido, about 250 miles north of Kampala.
The corporal and private were killed by firing squad.
"We want to show the public that the crime was carried
out by individuals, but not by the army as an institution. They are supposed to
be executed in public to show everybody that we are not part of their
activities," he said. Army spokesman Major Shaban Bantariza earlier said
the soldiers would not be able to appeal because "field courtmartials are
so stringent and appeals are very rare." He would not speculate on a
motive for the murders, but it appeared to be an attempted robbery.
Fr Gibbons said the family did not want anyone made a
scapegoat for the murders. He said the family looked for a more transparent
trial rather than a quick-fix death sentence. "They appealed for justice
rather than the execution of those facing the charges," he said.
Fr O'Toole will be buried in Galway on Thursday under a tree
which was planted on the day he was ordained five years ago.
His remains are scheduled to be flown to Dublin from Kampala
tomorrow at 4.30pm and brought to Headford.