The pre-trial hearing of criminal case against former top Lords Resistance Army commander Thomas Kwoyelo is postponed to September 21st as two state lawyers are appointed to handle the case.
The pre-trial hearing of criminal cases against former top Lord's Resistance Army commander Thomas Kwoyelo has been postponed to September 21st.
The postponement is to allow two newly appointed state lawyers peruse files of old proceedings of the case including already disclosed evidences. The new state lawyers, or briefs, are Charles Dalton Opwonya of Dalton Opwonya and Company Advocates and Geoffrey Anyuru Borris of Louis Odongo and Company Advocates.
Presiding judge, Lady Justice Suzan Okalany introduced the lawyers to the accused during pre-trial session on Tuesday. Justice Okalany told Kwoyelo the two will represent him in the case alongside his lawyers of choice, Nicholas Opiyo, Caleb Alaka and John Francis Onyango.
She stressed that the appointment of the two lawyers is meant to facilitate speedy justice.
Kwoyelo did not object to the appointments after he failed to comply with Monday court instruction to avail his lawyers of choice on Tuesday.
Justice Okalany said Nicholas Opiyo, one of Kwoyelo's lawyers erred in procedure when he protested a hearing notice served to him for "being served too late". She said: "Lawyers don't protest. They write to the Registrar to explain why they can't appear in Court. We will therefore ignore the protest and proceed with business as agreed on Monday".
Court also granted leave to prosecution and counsel of victims to amend the indictment against Kwoyelo. This was after Charles Byansi, the lead state prosecutor and Henry Komakech Kilama, the victims' representative submitted a request for leave to amend the charge sheet.
Byansi told Uganda Radio Network that the state seeks to annex a charge of sexual and gender based violence against Thomas Kwoyelo.
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Lawyer Charles Dalton Opwonya requested court to give them ample time to peruse through the case file and evidence already disclosed in order to adequately prepare and proceed with the pre-trial hearing.
Jackson Odong, the acting program manager of Conflict and Transitional Justice and project of Makerere University's Refugee Law Project says the pre-trial hearing has been very revealing for victims of the conflict and members of the public.
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Odong urged stakeholders to ensure that justice is dispensed to the accused and victims who have been waiting for far too long.
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Kwoyelo faces 12 confirmed counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity and 53 alternative charges he is alleged to have committed while fighting for the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
The charges were slapped against him shortly after he was arrested in battle with Uganda People's Defence Forces -UPDF in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2008.
He pleaded not guilty and is due to stand trial in October 2016.
Peter Labeja
Guest