The army court has denied bail to at least 28 supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) who are facing trial of unlawful possession of ammunition.
The General Court Martial presided over by Brig Freeman Robert Mugabe ruled that the suspects lacked substantial sureties.
The accused, including Yasin Ssekitoleko alias Machete, Robert Christopher Rugumayo, Patrick Mwase, Simon Kikaabe, Muhydin Kakooza, Olivia Lutaaya, Abdu Matovu, Ronald Kijambo, Sharif Kalanzi, Joseph Muwonge, Mesach Kiwanuka, Abdalla Kintu, Umar Emma Kato, and Musa Kavuma, are alleged to have been found in illegal possession of 13 pieces of explosive devices between November 2020 and May 2021 in areas of Jinja, Mbale, Kireka, Nakulabye, Kawempe, Natete, and Kampala Central.
The group is part of 32 NUP supporters who made a second application for bail before the court but only four of the 32 have been granted bail this afternoon, namely Ronald Mayiga, Richard Nyombi, Kenneth Kamya, and Shafique Ngobi.
The four were granted bail because they had substantial sureties, fixed places of abode, and would not interfere with state witnesses or ongoing investigations according to Brig Mugabe.
The prosecution, relying on the affidavit of Lt Elly Musinguzi, an investigator from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence had opposed their release, arguing that the sureties were also not substantial. In his ruling, Brig Mugabe agreed with the prosecution that most of the sureties were not substantial, and only the four applicants qualified for release.
He asked each of the successful applicants to pay a cash bail of Shs 500,000 and for their sureties to execute a non-cash bond of Shs 2 million before they could also gain their temporary freedom. He also barred them from travelling beyond Wakiso and Kampala districts without permission from the court and ordered them to report to the court registrar twice a month and any time they are needed in court.
Breaching any of these conditions will lead to the automatic cancellation of bail. Those denied bail have been further remanded until tomorrow April 4. They have been on remand in Kitalya and Luzira prisons since May 2021. The accused persons were arrested by CMI operatives after the police accused them of plotting to carry out petrol bomb attacks targeting government vehicles and buildings in various places in the country.
Police claimed that the suspects masterminded attacks on Kasubi Royal tombs, on former Jinja resident city commissioner Eric Sakwa in Nakulabye, on Uganda Registration Services Bureau, and the Katwe police station, among others. They were reportedly planning to block President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni from swearing in for his sixth term of office.
Some of the parents and relatives of those denied bail including elderly men and women who claimed to have fought with current government leaders while in the bush to bring in democracy and multiparty in the country were seen in tears. They expressed disappointment that these principles are not being respected.
Last year in December, the Constitutional court in a 3-2 judgment ruled that it was illegal to try civilians in military courts and ordered that existing cases and trials be transferred to civilian courts. - URN/The Observer