DPP ready to prosecute jailed MPs Ssegirinya, Ssewanyana

The Office of the Director of the Public Prosecutions (DPP) has said its ready to prosecute the case of the two remanded Members of Parliament, Mr Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) and Mr Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North).
The DPP’s office said since they have already committed the legislators to the High Court, it means that they are ready to present evidence against them.

“Once the High Court fixes the case for hearing, witnesses shall be summoned and led by the Prosecution,” Ms Jacquelyn Okui, the DPP spokesperson, said yesterday.
 “The accused’s bail applications in Masaka High Court are scheduled to be entertained by the court on February 13, 14 and 15, and the office is also ready to proceed with the same,” she added.
During the opening of the new law year in Kampala last Friday, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo cautioned both prosecution and defence against employing delay tactics once the trial of the two MPs starts.

“I want to announce that in this quarter, the trial of the Members of Parliament will begin. Let me again be clear,  let me say this to the State, you are the one who brought these accused persons to court, you made allegations against them and the law says they are innocent until proven guilty. When the trial begins and it will be soon, there will be no dilly-dallying, there will be no games,” he said.
The Chief Justice went on and warned that if the State is not ready to try the MPs, then the trial judge has the right to dismiss the case against them.

The duo, who has been on remand for more than a year, is accused of being behind the wave of killings by machete-wielding gangs in the Greater Masaka area about two years ago.
Masaka High Court has since set next week to commence hearing of the bail application of the two MPs. This is after several of their attempts to be released on bail were frustrated, including being rearrested while they left prison.

About the case
The prosecution claims that the MPs, Mr Wilson Ssenyonga and others still at large, during the night of August 2, 2021, at Kisekka B Village in Lwengo District, with malice aforethought, unlawfully killed Joseph Bwanika. Meanwhile, in the Kampala case file, the MPs alongside others are accused of terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, murder, and attempted murder. The duo denied all the charges in both files. The cases were committed to the High Court after investigations into the matters were concluded by police.
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