Court to give verdict on Sewanyana, Ssegirinya bail appeal on June 29

By Rachael Najjuma

16^th June 2022

The International Criminal Division of the High Court has set June 29 to decide on whether to unconditionally release the two jailed legislators Allan Sewanyana and Mohammed Ssegirinya.

This is after the trial judge Jane Aldviza concluded with hearing, an application filed by the legislators challenging their over stay in detention.

The MPs lawyers led by Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi and Shamim Malende told court that the legislators are illegally detained given the fact that the security agencies failed to honour the Masaka high court order to release the accused persons on bail.

The lawyers revealed that the Masaka magistrate’s court issued several orders to Kigo prisons to have the MPS undergo specialized treatment, however up to now the prison authorities failed to comply.

However, the State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka informed court that the legislators are in legal detention having been charged with fresh charges of murder in line with Lwengo district Bijambiya murders.

Justice Aldviza ordered the prison authorities to produce a medical report to ascertain whether the legislators were taken care of or not before the ruling is delivered on the 29th June.

Prosecution alleges the mps and others still at large between the month of January and August 2021 staged the panga wielding gangs that put lives of many to standstill and also attempted to murder many in the Greater Masaka region.