Ex-LRA rebel Kwoyelo turns down new lawyers

Gulu- Jailed former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel commander Thomas Kwoyelo yesterday rejected a move by the International Crimes Division of the High (ICD) to allocate him two new defence lawyers to represent him after his known lawyers failed to show up for the pre-hearing.

Mr Kwoyelo found himself alone in court that was sitting in Gulu District, without his lawyers Caleb Alaka and Nicholas Opiyo.

To that effect, presiding judge Susan Okalany offered to allocate him new lawyers in a bid to have the pre-trial hearing start but the former rebel commander rejected the offer.

“Mr Kwoyelo, do you have your lawyers, can you explain why they are not in court. Did you serve them information of your presence in court today (yesterday) and have you settled legal fees for your lawyers,” Justice Okalany asked Mr Kwoyelo.

Justice Okalany also told Mr Kwoyelo that the failure by his defence team to show up had slowed down the pre-hearing session before adding the new rules that govern the ICD are stringent on non-appearance of parties.

But in a husky voice through a Luo interpreter, Mr Kwoyelo informed court that he was equally surprised that his lawyers were not in court and that he had not received any communication from them to that effect. He also said prison officials blocked him from informing Mr Alaka about yesterday’s appearance.

“I request court to give me time to consult my lawyer. Besides, Mr Alaka has been working with me all this time, I therefore can’t choose or accept a new lawyer,” he said.

Consequently, court gave Kwoyelo up to today to find out what could have gone wrong with his legal team.

Justice Okalany warned that she would proceed with the pre-trial hearing today with or without Mr Kwoyelo’s defence lawyers.

When this newspaper contacted Mr Alaka on why he abandoned his client, he said he thought the pre-trial session was to be conducted in Kampala not Gulu.
“I rushed to Kampala High Court today (yesterday) thinking that was the venue for the pre-trial but I bounced. I didn’t know it was in Gulu,” he said.

Background

Charges: Kwoyelo was captured in 2008, by UPDF from DR Congo and charged with 53 counts of murder, willful killing, kidnap with intent to kill, aggravated robbery and destruction of property during the two decade war led by LRA’s Joseph Kony in Northern Uganda.
Aftermath: Kwoyelo’s trial followed the judgment of the Supreme Court last year in which it held that the former LRA rebel should be tried before the International Crimes Division of the High Court on grounds that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) didn’t discriminate against him when he slapped the 53 criminal charges against him.

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