MASAKA, UGANDA: The Grade One Magistrates Court in Masaka has granted bail to four Muslim leaders who were charged with assault and causing grievous harm to members of their congregation.
The four are Sheikh Abaasi Nseera, the Imam of Masaka main mosque, his assistants Hakim Nseera and Farouk Mulumba, and Moses Tamale, an ordinary worshiper. They were remanded to Sazza government prisons on Thursday, on the basis of offences that were committed during a scuffle at Masaka main mosque in May this year.
The prosecution alleges that the accused persons incited worshipers to assault Sheikh Yasini Kakomo and Hajj Abdallah Nusuru, who they accused of messing up the management of Muslim properties and leadership for selfish gains. Moses Tamale, one of the suspects is on the other hand accused of threatening to kill Sheikh Ahmed Kayemba, the former Secretary General to the Masaka District Muslim Council.
The four suspects regained their freedom today after the court presided over by Grade One Magistrate Grace Wakooli granted them a non-cash bail of two million Shillings each. Their eight sureties were also bonded at one million Shillings each.
Meanwhile, Priscilla Nyakake, the Masaka Senior Resident State Attorney leading the prosecution told the court that although she had no further objections to the suspects bail applications, their files have been completed and ready to proceed with their trial.
Last week, Nyakake told the court that the prosecution needed time to examine the authenticity of the bail application papers the suspects had submitted some of which were in Luganda and in photocopies. The suspects have been ordered to return to court on September 21 to proceed with the trial.
Sheikh Abaasi Nseera told journalists shortly after his release that his predicaments are engineered by a clique of self-seekers whose interest is to cause commotion in the Muslim leadership of the area.
Muslim faithful at the Masaka main mosque are sharply divided into cliques wrangling over the management of their properties and top leadership positions of the Masaka Muslim District Council.
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