Mbabazi’s lawyer runs to UCC, Facebook management over ‘break in own office’ allegations

Kampala Lawyer, Mr Fred Muwema who on Monday denied allegations that he obtained a Shs900 million bribe to undermine the presidential election petition filed by former candidate Amama Mbabazi before the Supreme Court has written to Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and Facebook administrators for help.

In a letter addressed to UCC executive director and the Facebook’s legal department in respect to two offending posts allegedly published on Facebook by a one Tom Voltaire Okwalinga commonly known as TVO, Mr Muwema wants the account user’s identity and address disclosed to him for legal action.

“…I request the Internet Protocol address of the subject user by 29th March to be able to determine the user’s physical location, email, telephone address and other useful identifier information,” he said.

Mr Muwema’s letter follows a social media missive in which it was alleged that he was compromised to jump out of the presidential petition by Mr Mbabazi. It was also alleged that the lawyer was behind the March 8 raid at his law firm.

But Mr Muwema who confirmed his offices being raided leading to theft of information in support of the petition yesterday said the matter is under investigations.

“Any person with useful leads or information should come forward in person and not hide behind pseudo internet names, to defame and insult others. After the investigations those responsible can be identified and prosecuted as the law requires based on evidence assembled and not speculation,” he said.

In his letter to UCC and the social media platform, Mr Muwema further demands that Facebook removes the allegedly infringing/ defamatory content and stop hosting TVO whom he claims is notorious for attacking and injuring the names of many personalities of different standing in Uganda.

“If the assistance shall not be forthcoming, I shall have no alternative but to hold Facebook liable in substantial damages for the making, publication, dissemination and distribution of the defamatory content complained of,” he further said.
However, UCC executive director Godfrey Mutaabazi says he has not yet received Mr Muwema’s letter.

According to Mr Muwema, his firm aided the preparation of the petition; “However the reasons why we did not participate in the trial of the Presidential petition were discussed with the client and are known to him.”

“Since communications with our client are privileged and we are not at liberty to disclose them to anybody without his consent or approval, we find the attacks against us in this regard unjustified and misguided,” he added.

According to the statement he issued Monday, “the false propaganda being spread in the aforesaid missive is the handwork of some bellicose individuals within or outside the state machinery who desire to torment our client and draw a wedge between him and us and his legal team.”

Mr Mbabazi filed the Election petition challenging President Museveni’s victory of the February 18 2016 through three law firms including Muwema and Company Advocates, Twinobusingye and Advocates and Akampurira and Partners. It had been anticipated that Mr Muwema, a senior lawyer and Mr John Mary Mugisha would lead at the hearing of the petition but instead Mr Mohmed Mbabazi leads the team assisted by among others Micheal Akampurira, Severino Twinobusingye and Mr Jude Byamukama.

The matter now awaits judgment slated for March 31, before the Supreme Court after hearing ended last week.

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