MP Zaake charged in Arua court, bailed
Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake (L) being led to court cells after he was handed over to prison warders at Arua High Court. Photo by Felix Warom Okello
ARUA- Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament, Mr Francis Zaake, who is accused of escaping from lawful custody, was on Friday charged and released on bail.
He was released on a court bond of Shs50 million by Arua Chief Magistrates. Hearing of the case was adjourned to March 22, 2019.
The MP who arrived at Arua High Court at 10:40 was escorted by senior policemen from Kampala and Arua.
They handed him over to two prison wardens who locked him in the holding cells of the court.
Mr Zaake was arrested on Thursday and detained at the Central Police Station in Kampala.
According to the Director of Criminal Investigations, Ms Grace Akullo, Mr Zaake jumped a police bond which was granted to him last year, after being charged with treason and unlawful escape from police custody.
"We have arrested Zaake. He jumped police bond all this time. We are taking him to Arua Court, then Gulu [court]," Ms Akullo said on Thursday.
Mr Zaake at a recent public rally.
Ms Zaake and and Kyaddondo East Member of Parliament, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobo Wine, were among the 33 suspects arrested in Arua on allegations of stoning President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy on August 13, during the Arua Municipality by-election campaigns.
The suspects were tortured in detention.
Mr Kyagulanyi and Mr Zaake were advised to seek specialised treatment abroad.
However, the two were blocked from leaving the country and subsequently arrested at Entebbe Airport.
They were taken to Kiruddu Hospital and placed under the guard of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence.
Mr Kyagulanyi was later cleared by the medical board and police to travel to the US for treatment but Mr Zaake wasn’t cleared.
Mr Zaake was later cleared to travel abroad for medical attention.
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