Shamim Malende, one of the lawyers to jailed National Unity Platform (NUP) legislators claims she was attacked on her way to Masaka High Court at along Alex Ssebowa road in Masaka for a bail hearing this morning.
Allan Sewanyana MP Makindye West and Muhammed Ssegirinya MP Kawempe North are currently on remand at Kigo Prison on seven counts of murder, attempted murder and terrorism. The Court is today hearing a bail application for the jailed MP’s via zoom technology.
Malende, also the Kampala Central MP, says she was ambushed by a group of three unidentified thugs who deflated car tyres of her Toyota Harrier along the road. She says the attack happened at 8am, five kilometres from the court.
“I have been attacked by unknown people on my way to Masaka for the bail application of Hon Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya and my car tyres deflated.”
Pictures of Malende with mechanics fixing her car tyres along an empty street have been seen doing rounds on social media. Malende says the attack happened shortly after she parked on the roadside during a heavy down pour .
”We heard someone banging on the car window and thought they wanted some help. When I lowered it, I saw three men in black raincoats standing near the car but I could not identify them in the heavy rain,” she said.
Segirinya and Ssewanyana were arrested on Tuesday September 7 on charges of murder and terrorism in connection to the Masaka murders. The State claims that the opposition legislators instigated murders in the Greater Masaka region that left at least 30 people dead.
There was a technical glitch in the bail proceedings this morning after the Court failed to connect to the remanded Mps because of a faulty internet connection.This prompted the presiding Justice Justice Lawrence Tweyanze to adjourn the bail hearing for for thirty minutes after the zoom link failed to connect to Kigo Prison.
