KAMPALA, UGANDA: The pre-trial of jailed NUP MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe South) and Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) has flopped for the fourth time and is likely to delay after the case was assigned to a new judge.
This followed the transfer of Ms. Jane Elizabeth Alividza who was the trial judge in charge of the case to the Lands division of the High Court at a time when she was finalising the hearing of prosecution evidence against the co-accused MPs.
The two legislators who subscribe to the National Unity Platform led by Robert Kyagulanyi are accused of being behind the spate of machete-killings that rocked the Masaka Sub-region between March and August 2021 claiming the lives of about 26 Ugandans.
The two were charged with murder, attempted murder, terrorism, and aiding and abetting terrorism and committed to the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kololo for their case hearing.
Prosecution led by Mr Richard Birivumbuka on Tuesday told Ms Alice Komuhangi Khuakha, the new crimes division judge that she needs to first go through the whole file first and that state had completed investigations into the case.
Court also heard that there are three applications in the case that needed to first be heard before the further hearing of this case, which include; a petition by jailed lawyer Male Mabirizi who seeks to halt the trial of the duo, an application for witness protection and bail application.
Justice Komuhangi further remanded the MPs and set Wednesday next week (September 28) to decide whether to consolidate the applications or not.
The MPs have now spent more than a year without being committed for trial and several attempts to secure court bail shattered over unclear reasons.
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