On Monday, the Jinja High Court Deputy Registrar, Fred Waninda adjourned the matter to January 20. He said that the trial judge, Justice Eva Luswata is on leave.
The Trial of Rwenzururu King, Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere failed
to kick off at Jinja High Court on Monday after the trial judge failed to show
up.
Mumbere and his royal guards are charged with 41 counts of
treason, terrorism, murder, attempted murder and aggravated robbery. Under the
charge of treason, the Rwenzururu king, his guards and others still at large,
between March and November 2016 in different places within Kasese and Kabarole
districts, allegedly planned to overthrow a lawfully established government by
force of arms.
On Monday, the Jinja High Court Deputy Registrar, Fred Waninda adjourned the
matter to January 20. He said that the trial judge, Justice Eva Luswata is on
leave.
Waninda tasked defence lawyers to apply for the accused person bail on time
such that remedies shall be considered during next years’ trial session when
the judge is available.
He adds that to observe the ministry of health standard operating procedures
aimed at controlling the spread of covid-19, the trial sessions will be
conducted via zoom conferencing technology to accommodate all the inmates who are
currently remanded in the different prisons.
One of the accused’s lawyers, Alfred Makhasi who doubles as the Rwenzururu Attorney
general says that they were ready for the trial only to be informed that, the trial
judge was unavailable.
Makhasi says that they have asked their clients to remain patient as they wait
for the trial to commence.
//cue in: “we were summoned…
Cue out…was not indisposed,”.
Mumbere, his Prime Minister Johnson Tembo Kitsumbire and six
juveniles were granted bail in 2017 though denied access to districts of
Kasese, Bundibugyo and Kabarole for fear of interfering with the
investigations. The other suspects are being detained in different prisons
including Kirinya in Jinja and Luzira in Kampala.
