Bail for detained MPs
After a series of failed attempts to seek bail for their clients in the Magistrate’s and High Court, Lawyers to the two jailed National Unity Platform Legislators have filed an application in the Court of Appeal to review a decision denying them bail.
Muhammed Ssegirinya, Kawempe North MP and Allan Ssewanyana Makindye West MP were rearrested on September 29 2021, on murder charges, shortly after the Masaka High Court had granted them bail.
Their lawyer Shamim Malende says they were compelled to file an application for review of the decision by High Court judge, Justice Lawrence Tweyanze to deny them bail.
Malende, believes meet all the necessary requirements to obtain bail including having fixed places of abode ,substantial sureties and are still innocent until proven guilty.
“We are appealing because the High court judge denied them bail,they have never interfered with any witnesses before,they have never absconded from the country when granted bail on certain occasions, no evidence of interfering with witnesses has ever been presented,” She explained
However, the Court of Appeal is yet to hear the application or constitute a panel of Justices hear it. The Judiciary Spokesperson Jamson Karemani, says that the Court of Appeal has already received the application but a date and venue are yet to be fixed.
“We have not fixed the hearing of that application or given the venue where it is going to be handled but there is technology,and in case the panel supposed to handle the matter is constituted is somewhere on assignment and are able to connect through technology, they can still hear it,” says Karemani
Bail for detained MPs
The MPs were first arraigned before Masaka Chief Magistrates Court presided over by Charles Yeteise and charged with terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, three counts of murder, and attempted murder in connection to the machete killings in Greater Masaka area between June and August 2021..
Greater Masaka covers the districts of Lwengo, Lyantonde, Masaka, Mityana, Mpigi, Rakai and Ssembabule among others.
On September 21, 2021 the duo was granted cash bail of 20 million Shillings each cash and their respective sureties were bonded at 100 million non-cash by the Masaka High Court Judge Victoria Nakintu Katamba. This followed a bail application filed by their lawyers Erias Lukwago and Shamim Malende on grounds that their clients suffered hypertension and kidney which couldn’t be managed inside prisons.
However, shortly after their release, the two legislators were again separately rearrested from the outskirts of Kigo prisons on September 23rd and 26th 2021. They appeared again before Masaka Magistrate’s court and charged with a fresh murder charge of Joseph Bwanika a resident of Kankamba Village Kisekka Sub-county in Lwengo District .
The MPs have since failed to apply for bail on the new murder charge. While appearing before Masaka High Court Judge Lawrence Tweyanze on October 25, 2021, the duo was denied bail on grounds that they are accused of a string of Capital offenses that all attract a maximum of the death penalty.
