Ssegirinya, Ssewanyana further remanded as prosecutor skips court
MPs Allan Ssewanyana and Muhammad Ssegirinya appear attend court proceedings virtually from Kigo Prison. PHOTO | FAHAD MALIK JJINGO
What you need to know:
- The presiding magistrate said the court could not proceed without the prosecutor, since Ms Malende had raised issues that required responses of the prosecutor.
Court proceedings of a case in which MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) and Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) are accused of murder and aiding and abetting terrorism on Tuesday flopped due to the absence of the state prosecutor.
Masaka grade one magistrate Christine Nantegge was surprised to learn that the state prosecutor, Mr Richard Birivumbuka, was absent in court and was compelled to adjourn the matter to January 5, 2022.
The MPs’ lawyer Ms Shamim Malende asked the court for guidance on what to do in circumstances where the state prosecutor does not show up.
Ms Malende also informed court that her clients have not been allowed access private medical care despite a court order to the prisons authorities, something that puts the MPs’ lives at risk.
Ms Malende also said she has unable to access her clients as her attempts have been made futile by the prisons authorities. She said whenever she goes to Luzira to look for Mr Ssegirinya, she’s told that he is back at Kigo and when she goes to the latter, she’s told that he is at the former.
“We are at least now relieved on seeing them that they are both at Kigo prison but access to them is still hard we need the court to issue orders to prisons authorities to allow us and their parents to access them and let prisons allow them also access private medical facility as the court had earlier ordered because the court cannot try a dead person,” she said.
The presiding magistrate said the court could not proceed without the prosecutor, since Ms Malende had raised issues that required responses of the prosecutor.
“The order issued by court has to be served to prisons authorities the other reasons raised by the defense are pertinent issues which the prosecution has to be given an opportunity to respond before the court can rule on the same, the matter is adjourned to January 5, 2022,” she said.
Records before the court show that the legislators and others that are still at large killed Joseph Bwanika a resident of Kiseekka B IN Lwengo District on August 3, 2021.
