Ssegirinya, Ssewanyana lawyers skip court, case deferred

Lawyers for MPs Mr Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) and Mr Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) on Wednesday were no show at Masaka Magistrates Court where the duo was expected to appear.

The legislators who are currently facing seven charges of murder, attempted murder, terrorism and abetting terrorism, were supposed to appear before the chief magistrate for further mentioning of their case.

 They are represented by Mr Erias Lukwago, Ms Shamim Malende and Mr Musa Matovu.

Prosecution led by Mr Richard Birivumbuka told Masaka Grade One magistrate, Ms Christine Nantege, that investigations into the case against the duo are not complete and sought for an adjournment.

 After Ms Nantege adjourned the hearing to November 10, another Grade One Magistrate, Ms Grace Wakooli, who handles another case file also entered the courtroom and adjourned the matter to the same date.

 The State alleges that the two legislators together with other suspects-some on remand and others still at large, between the month of July and August 2021, took part in the killing of 26 people in Masaka Sub Region. They are also accused of financing killings.

Court records show that on August 2, 2021, the two MPs allegedly killed Joseph Bwanika, a resident of Kisekka B Village in Kisekka Sub County in Lwengo District.

Prosecution also alleges that on August 23 at Ssettaala Village in Masaka City, the MPs and their co-accused persons killed Francis Mugerwa Kiiza aka Nswa, Sulaiman Kakooza and Tadeo Kiyimba. The MPs are also accused of attempting to kill Ronald Ssebyoto, a resident of the same area.

 Mr Ssewanyana followed the session via a zoom link from Kigo Prison while his colleague Ssegirinya did not make it, as he is currently undergoing treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

However, Mr Ssewanyana told court that he also feels unwell and needs urgent medical attention.

"Your worship, I need your intervention, you ordered Kigo Prison authorities to give me treatment, but they have not done so, my private parts are hurting too much, please help me," Mr Ssewanyana pleaded.

The magistrate again ordered authorities at Kigo Prisons to ensure that Mr Ssewanyana receives the necessary treatment.

When contacted, Counsel Matovu said they knew that State had not yet completed investigations and it was therefore pointless to appear in court.

“Secondly, we also had to visit Honourable Ssegirinya whose health is not good,” he said  

Ms Hellen Nanyonga, a mother to one of the accused persons in Kitalya Prison Christopher Sserwadda sobbed in court after seeing her son on the screen.

Sserwadda, who is among the other 20 suspects charged together with MPs raised his hand and asked court to help him be transferred to Masaka Prison where his aging mother can easily visit him.

"Your worship, I pray that I be transported back to Masaka prisons where my family can come and visit me because they are not allowed to visit us here where we are," Sserwadda told court.

Ms Nanyonga while speaking to Journalists said she had come to stand as surety for his son because he was the sole breadwinner for the family.

"My son was the one taking care of me and his siblings, let the court be merciful to us, because my son never committed any offence," she added.

She noted that her son was found at work in Bisanje, a Masaka City suburb, digging a borehole when police arrested him with three others, who were later released but her son remained detained.  

But Ms Wakooli advised all the accused to apply for bail through the High Court which has jurisdiction to grant bail.

On Monday, both Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana failed to secure bail after their lawyers ‘failed’ to convince Justice Lawrence Tweyanze.

On September 20, the same judge had granted bail to the MPs but Mr Ssewanyana was viciously rearrested by plain clothed armed men and forced into a van infamously known as a drone as he walked out of Kigo Prison September 23, 2021. His colleague, Ssegirinya was also arrested in the same manner four days later as he left Kigo Prison.