The lawyers at the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court have expressed disappointment with the court’s proceeding during the case hearing involving the 36 FDC Katonga faction members who were recently arrested in Kenya and deported to Uganda after they were accused of subversive activities by Kenyan authorities.
According to Counsel Julius Ssekade, a lawyer representing the accused 36 FDC members, the court should have instructed the prison authorities to present the accused persons in court during the hearing because they were in a country governed by the rule of law.
“This session ended in disappointment because all the accused persons were not brought to court. The proceeding happened via Zoom, which is a total injustice because while in prison, the accused did not have the opportunity to interact with their lawyers to be guided and determine the next cause of action,” Ssekade said.
Commenting on the cause of adjourning the case hearing to August 26, 2024, Ssekade revealed that the state made allegations that the inquiries were incomplete.
He, however, retaliated, stating that the state could have made a substantial investigation into the matter before arresting the accused.
“We all remember the manner of their arrest and the ease with which they were presented in court. The presumption is that by that time, the state will have overwhelming evidence. So they can’t come out to tell us the inquiries are incomplete,” Ssekade explained.
“Unfortunately, the magistrate in charge of the matter was absent, and the magistrate who sat in for her guided that she doesn’t have the jurisdiction to make a ruling. She advised us to make the same pleas at the next hearing,” he added.
The leaders of the FDC Katonga faction, such as Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Erias Lukwago, and Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, declined to comment on the matter since it’s in court.
The 36 members of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change Katonga faction were remanded to Luzira prison on charges of terrorism.
