National Unity Platform party (NUP) has petitioned the High Court seeking for the release of party supporters, who were denied bail by the General Court Martial (GCM).
Last month, the Chairman of GCM Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti declined to release the head of Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu aka Bobi Wine’s private security team Edward Ssebuufu aka Eddie Mutwe, singer Ali Buken aka Nubian Li and 36 other supporters saying that the group is likely to incite violence in case they are released.
Edie Mutwe and Nubian Li are part of the 124 people who were arrested in Kalangala District last year in December where Bobi Wine had gone to converse for support ahead of the concluded January presidential elections. The group had been released by the Masaka and Kalangala magistrate court. Only 88 were released.
Through their lawyers led by George Musisi, NUP avers that the matter under the GCM was adjourned indefinitely and therefore they want high court to release them pending investigations. “We want court to know it that my clients have never been convicted of such nature of offences brought against them. Most of them are sick and therefore they need medical attention,” he said.
Citing section 23 (6) (a) and 28 (3), Musisi said that his clients have a right to bail and innocence until proven guilty.
Prosecution avers that all the accused and others still at large on January 3, at Makerere Kavule Kigundu zone, were found in possession of four rounds of ammunition which is a monopoly of the Defense Forces. However, at the time of the said offence, most of the suspects were in Kitalya Prison where they had been remanded by Masaka chief magistrates Court in December last year.
