Pre-trial of ADF rebel leader Mukulu to start

Jamil Mukulu. FILE PHOTO 

KAMPALA- The International Crimes Division of the High Court is Monday expected to start conducting the pre-trial session in a high profile case in which former rebel of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Jamil Mukulu is facing trial over his alleged rebel activities against the government of Uganda.

The trial session that will be presided over by Justice Eva Luswata, is expected to last for a month.

The rules of this specialised court, require a suspect to go through a pre-trial session with prosecution adducing evidence to prove whether there is a prema-facie established against him/her or not.

If a prema-facie case is established against the suspect, a panel of three justices has to be set up to hear the case on its merits until final judgment is delivered and on the contrary, the suspect is set free.

Mr Solomon Muyita, the Senior Communications Officer of the Judiciary, on Sunday afternoon, said there will be high security presence at the High Court building in Kampala before asking journalists who intend to cover the pre-trial session, to be accredited.

Mukulu was the leader of the Allied Democratic Forces rebels who terrorised some parts of Uganda including allegedly planting bombs in Kampala in the 1990s until he was arrested 2015.

A panel of three judges has already been picked to hear Mukulu’s main case.

They include; Moses Mukiibi, Suzan Okalany and Michael Elubu.

Mukulu was arrested in 2015 in Tanzania before being extradited to Uganda to face justice over atrocities committed by the ADF rebel group which was also declared as a terrorism organisation.

He was first arraigned before the Jinja Chief Magistrates court before being charged together with 34 others of offences related to terrorism, murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, aiding and abetting terrorism , crimes against humanity and belonging to a terrorist organisation.

He is currently being detained at Luzira in Kampala. Mukulu was for several months detained at the defunct Nalufenya Detention Centre in Jinja District.

Mukulu is accused of launching a rebellion when he formed ADF out of remnants of the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda, terrorising people in Western Uganda areas of Rwenzori. The group is accused of masterminding an attack on Kichwamba Technical Institute in 1998,  burning it and causing the death of over 80 students of the institute.

Prosecution also alleges that Mukulu masterminded the killing of various Muslim Sheikhs in Uganda between 2013 and 2015.

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