Why prisons Besigye is still in jail
CAPTION: Dr Kizza Besigye, left, with his co-accussed Adedi Lutale, right, the dock at the Court Martial recently. (File photo).
By our reporter
KAMPALA – The Uganda Prisons Service -UPS is awaiting instructions from the Attorney General on the next course of action regarding Retired Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye and other civilians who have been facing trial on various charges before the Court Martial.
Notable among these individuals are dozens of National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters and Besigye’s co-accused, Hajji Obeid Lutaale Kamulegeya, with whom he is jointly charged with treachery and illegal possession of ammunition and firearms.
CAPTION: Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka
Last week, the Supreme Court halted all ongoing criminal trials of civilians in the Court Martial and ordered that the files be transferred to civilian courts for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to take charge. The same court, led by Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, also ordered that all military officers not facing disciplinary-related charges should be tried in civilian courts.
This Supreme Court decision came as Besigye and his co-accused were expected to report back to court for the hearing of their case. However, neither Besigye nor his co-accused, nor any other suspects, were brought to court.
As a result, Uganda Prisons Service Spokesperson Frank Baine stated that they are waiting for instructions from the Attorney General, who was the appellant in the case. “You know what happened on Friday. The Supreme Court ruled, and now we are waiting for instructions to make the next move,” Baine said.
CAPTION: Uganda Presion Force spokes person Frank Mbaine.
According to Baine, the procedure is that once the court makes a decision, it issues an order to the Attorney General. He explained that the Attorney General, who had appealed the case, would then call stakeholders to sit down and discuss the implementation of the Supreme Court orders.
Afterward, Baine indicated that the Attorney General would issue a directive to the Uganda Prisons Service. “Because the court provided that those the army thinks should be tried in civilian courts should be transferred, the procedure is that the army must receive them and call in the police as the mover of preliminary evidence,” Baine added.
