The judiciary is forming a new panel of Justices at the Constitutional Court to hear an application filed by controversial City lawyer Male Mabirizi seeking to drop criminal charges on jailed Mps.
Mabirizi petitioned court to dismiss criminal charges including terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, murder, and attempted murder charges against Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana moments after being released on bail for murder.
Police arrested the duo on September 7th, 2021 in Masaka district shortly after securing bail from Masaka High Court.
The case had been fixed for hearing before a panel of judges comprising Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemeire, Stephen Musota, Irene Mulyagonja, Muzamiru Mutangula Kibeedi, and Monica Mugenyi. But Justice Musota and Mugenyi were no show when the matter came up for hearing.
Justice Bamugemereire who led the panel of three Justices that presided over the matter said that the Constitutional Court Administration had decided to change the panel, which explained why it was not fully constituted. She, however, didn’t delve into details about why the decision was made to change the panel.
Justice Bamugemereire said a fresh hearing date will be communicated to the parties as soon as possible once the panel is constituted.
The charges stem from their alleged involvement in the Greater Masaka region machete killings, which claimed the lives of more than 20 people between July and September 2021.
Mabirizi says that the additional charges deprived Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya of Shillings 20 million, which should not have been the case had the state presented an amended charge sheet.
Mabirizi noted that the state actions made it hard for the legislators to get effective representation from a lawyer of their choice at their own expense and it required them to make new bail applications on offenses alleged to have been committed within the same period and area.
He asked the constitutional court to stop the duo’s trial and order their immediate and unconditional release and award him general and exemplary damages for the disturbances arising from the said state actions.
