Alam fails to secure bail via video link
Businessman Abid Alam arrives with his lawyer at the Buganda Road Court early this month. He is accused of conspiring with four police officers who leaked information about his case to him with the intention to defeat justice. MONITOR PHOTO
Businessman Abid Alam of Alam Group of companies will stay in prison a little longer after failing to secure bail on charges of conspiracy to defeat justice.
The Magistrate’s Court at Buganda Road dismissed his application for bail via video link technology on Friday.
Through his lawyers, Mr Alam had asked the court to adopt the recent guidelines issued by Minister of ICT and public service for public servants to work from home using technology like Zoom to access Mr Alam from Kitalya Prison.
The lawyers argued that adopting the said guidelines would ensure social distancing to curb the transmission of Covid-19 as guided by President Museveni and the Ministry of Health.
However, Magistrate Ketty Joan Acaa rejected the defence lawyer’s submissions, citing lack of an enabling law. She instead ordered that Mr Alam be presented in court on May 4 for the hearing of his bail application.
Mr Alam is alleged to have conspired with four police officers who allegedly leaked information about his case to him with the intention to defeat justice. They allegedly committed the offence on April 8 between Mityana Regional Police Office and Ntinda, a Kampala Suburb.
The accused police officers are Detective Superintendent of Police Wilber Osteen Wanyama and Detective Sergeant Azale Wilson attached to Wamala Regional Police Headquarters, together with Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police Peter Baitera Muhanuzi and Assistant Superintendent of Police Daniel Robert Ogwellan attached to Kassanda Police Station.
They were remanded to Kitalya Prison on April 16.
The charges stem from crimes committed by a group of people attached to the businessman. The group was recently accused of gang raping a woman before they destroyed banana plantations, robbed property and battered residents of Bukoba and Bukompe villages, among others.
