By Elizabeth Ankunda
24th April 2024
The Attorney General has filed additional evidence to the High Court in Kampala strengthening his defense that the government and security agencies do not know the whereabouts of 18 missing persons who are supporters of the National Unity Platform-NUP.
The Attorney General on Wednesday brought two more affidavits before the Civil Division Judge Esta Nambayo to supplement the already submitted four other affidavits in the case filed against the government demanding the accountability and subsequent release of the supporters.
The missing persons are: John Bosco Kibalama, John Damulira, Shafik Wangolo, Martin Lukwago, Michael Semudu, Musisi Mbowa, Vincent Nalumoso, Dennis Zimbula, Muhammad Kanatta, George Katumba, Moses Mbabazi, Yuda Ssempijja, Alphat Mugumya, Peter Kitya, Mustapha Muwemba, Hassan Mubiru, Isma Ssesaazi, and Godfrey Kisembo.
In their case filed in January, the relatives of the missing persons argue that the government’s conduct is an abuse of their human rights obligations to respect, uphold, and promote their fundamental human rights and freedoms.
They are seeking compensation for a breach of the suspects’ constitutional rights and an order for damages and punitive demands arguing that their people were abducted one by one by security operatives between 2019 and 2021 and they have since been nowhere to be seen.
On Wednesday, both parties including their lawyer George Musisi, David Lewis Rubongoya the Secretary General of NUP, and Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament on behalf of the applicants and the Attorney General through State Attorneys Jackie Amusugut and Arnold Kyeyune appeared before Lady Justice Nambayo.
The Attorney General had been given April 15th, 2024 as the deadline to file the evidence but delayed it until now.
Samalie Eve, the Detective Superintendent of Police attached to Crime Intelligence Directorate (CID) of Police, who was also the team leader regarding investigations concerning Damulira, Semudu, Kitya, and Luwemba, noted that Damulira, appeared at the police on October 26th, 2020 following his arrest with other people from Kisekka market for inciting violence in a case registered at CPS Kampala in 2020, arraigned before Buganda Road Court on October 28th, 2020, and was later bailed. However, he skipped bail and his whereabouts remained unknown.
Semudu was picked up by people dressed in civilian clothes armed with pistols on November 21st 2020 and allegedly driven towards Lungujja side and since those police have failed to locate him in their books.
The same applies to Peter Kirya, Mustafa Luwemba Godfrey Kisembo, and George Kasumba because the government says they are not in their hands.
Their lawyer George Musisi said that the detectives are biased because the government must account for its entire people and that there are several contradictions in their defense.
Ssenyonyi said that they will continue pursuing justice for the missing persons both politically and legally.
The case was adjourned to next week on May 3rd for further directions.
End
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