The International Crimes Division of High Court has granted bail to eight suspects waiting for trial for the alleged involvement in the murder of former Police Spokesperson, Andrew Felix Kaweesi. The suspects appeared on Tuesday afternoon before Justice Lydia Mugambe. They are Abdul-Rashid Mbaziira alias Muhammed Buyondo, Aramanzani Noordin Higenyi alias Taata Abdullazack, Yusuf Mugerwa […]
The International Crimes Division of High Court has granted bail to eight suspects waiting for trial for the alleged involvement in the murder of former Police Spokesperson, Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
The suspects appeared on Tuesday afternoon before Justice Lydia Mugambe.
They are Abdul-Rashid Mbaziira alias Muhammed Buyondo, Aramanzani Noordin Higenyi alias Taata Abdullazack, Yusuf Mugerwa alias Wilson, Bruhan Balyejusa alias Jimmy Masiga Ogutu, Joshua Magezi Kyambadde alias Abdu Rahman, Jibril Kalyango alias Abu Aisha, Yusuf Siraje Nyanzi alias Jimmy Ssentamu and Shafik Kasujja.
Each of the suspects and their sureties executed non cash bond of Shillings 150 million and 250 million respectively. Justice Mugambe also directed the suspects with passports to deposit them with court and report to the Registrars in the High Court circuits near their homes every 19th day of each month.
She directed the suspects not to leave the country until their matter is disposed of. Justice Mugambe also directed the suspect’s lawyer, Anthony Wameli and Prosecutor, Moses Stanley Baine to retrieve their identification documents from security.
It followed complaints from the suspects that their National Identification Cards were in the custody of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, which confiscated them upon their arrest in May, 2017.
Justice Mugambe granted the suspects bail on grounds that they had stayed on remand for long without trial. She explained that whereas prosecution sought to block the suspect’s release on grounds that some of them had previously been granted amnesty and they violated it, she argued they are still innocent in this matter .
Justice Mugambe also based her ruling on the Judgment by Justice Margaret Oumo Oguli who found that the suspects were tortured in CMI custody and ordered government to compensate them Shillings 80 million each for damages.
She also noted that in their first affidavits, Local council chairpersons where the suspects hail from said they knew them, but changed their statements because of state intimidation.
In their application, the suspects asked court to release them, saying they had spent long on remand, been subjected to torture, had fixed places of aboard and presented credible sureties.
Background to the Case
The suspects were arrested between March and May, 2017 from various places including Busia, Kampala, Mbale and Lwengo in connection to the brutal assassination of Andrew Felix Kaweesi, his bodyguard Kenneth Erau and his driver, Godfrey Mambewa.
They were arraigned in Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court for murder, terrorism and their alleged confession to being members of the rebel Allied Democratic Forces, which has since been declared a terrorist group.
They were committed for trial before the International Crimes Division of High Court in early 2018. The suspects looked surprised when the Judge granted them bail, which seemed a far cry.
Despite being released, the suspects returned to Luzira prison until Friday when they will return to finalize their paper work.
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