On Monday Masaka High Court judge Justice Lawrence Tweyanze once again rejected the bail application filed by MPs; Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North) and Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) who are facing charges among which is aiding and abetting terrorism.
While giving his ruling before a fully-packed courtroom, Justice Tweyanze revealed that granting bail to the accused two lawmakers will be a direct move of jeopardizing investigations because they are under trial.
He added that the accused persons are public figures who can easily influence the state’s witnesses thus jeopardizing investigations into their charges.
“They have the capacity to interfere with the investigations, including absconding from bail. The applicants’ lawyers also failed to prove their claim that the legislators were seriously ill, as they did not present medical certificates to prove their case. The fact that they were released on bail before can’t be a condition now given that they are facing a multiplicity of capital offences and the risks of absconding are high, based on the fact that they had no other charges against them before but now they do,” he said.
Reacting to the ruling the applicants’ lawyer Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago wondered why Justice Tweyaze changed Justice Nakintu’s ruling who had granted them bail.
“We are surprised that the decision made by Justice Nakintu has been overturned. I was also surprised that our evidence didn’t convince the judge. We were taken aback by his ruling on the MPs’ ill health after he (judge) said he saw MP Ssegirinya’s foot rotting away.”
He added the judge failed to substantiate his arguments in the ruling.
“It was very unfortunate because his arguments were quite speculative. You don’t just make allegations that the accused are likely to disappear, you must substantiate them.”
The two members of the August House are said to have had a hand in the recent machete attacks in the Masaka sub-region leaving close to 30 people dead.
However, while reacting on the Saturday Kamamboga bomb blast on one of the local radios CBS FM, the Minister of Internal Affairs Major General Kahinda Otafiire alluded that attackers who claim to belong to a one Islamic militant group (ISIS) have a greater connection with the recent spate of machete-wielding that happened in Masaka.
Yet it must be remembered that currently, the major figures accused to be behind the Masaka machete attacks are the two MPs Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana.
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