Pastor Aloysius
Bugingo and Suzan Makula Nantaba were on Friday charged with contracting an illegal traditional marriage ceremony. Bugingo and Makula pleaded not guilty before
Entebbe Grade One Magistrate Stella Okwong Paculal.
The state accuses Bujjingo and Makula of getting married in contravention to the
Marriage Act and Penal Code Act.
Bujjingo is
accused of committing bigamy and contracting marriage by customary law with
Makula when already married to Teddy Naluswa under the Marriage Act. On the
other hand, Makula is charged with contracting marriage with Bugingo well aware
that she is legally married to another man.
Naluswa and Bujjingo got married on December 20, 2003 certificate number
376 at Victory Christian Centre. However, without a formal dissolution of their
marriage, he allegedly married Makula under customary law on December 7, 2021,
in Kawuku, Katabi town council in Wakiso district.
Last year, lawyers Male Mabirizi and Robert Rutaro Muhairwe instituted private
prosecution proceedings against Bujjingo and Makula after their alleged
traditional marriage ceremony.
However, this week, the Director of Public Prosecution took over the case file.
Appearing before the Entebbe Grade One Magistrate Stella Okwong Paculal, Bujjingo denied the charges.
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Makula also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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After denying the charges Bujjingo and Makula's lawyers Ronald Ruhinda and Tony
Okwenye filed applications for bail. They presented four sureties each for
the accused persons.
Bujjingo’s sureties
were included Pastors Edward Kayizi of Divine Harvest Church and Charles
Ssemakula. Makula's sureties were businessman Kassim Dennis and Ronald Kizza.
The State Attorney Timothy Amerit did not object to the bail applications but asked
the court to exclude Kassim from Makula's list of sureties because he struggled to
tell the court his relationship with her.
Paculal granted the duo bail but with stringent conditions including observance
of the sub judice rule which restricts discussion of matters pending before the courts. They were told to attend court when required.
Bujjingo and Makula were also ordered to pay a cash bond of 3 Million Shillings and
each of the sureties a non-cash bond of 10 Million Shillings.
But
Mabirizi said that he was dissatisfied with today’s proceedings after the
DPP took over the case. He says that he will petition the High Court and East
African Court of Justice.
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