Prisoner accuses judge of bias

By Jackie Nambogga

An inmate in Kirinya Prison in Jinja, has reported a judicial official to the deputy director of public prosecutions (DPP) accusing him of being imbalanced when sentencing those found guilty of similar offences.

William Besiime from Masaka district said he was jailed for 40 years at Kirinya Prisons after he was found guilty of defilement yet others of the same offences were given lighter sentences by the same judicial official.

Besiime complained during a workshop to mainstream inmates on their rights organized by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) in conjunction with the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) at Kirinya main prison in Jinja.

The DPP, Damali Lwanga who attended, asked the Jinja High Court deputy registrar David Batema to respond to Besiime's concern.     

Batema explained that Besiime was given 40 years imprisonment because he defiled two girls in a horrible manner.

He explained that Besiime, armed with a panga, waylaid three girls aged 14, 13 and 10 years when they had gone to collect firewood and defiled two of them but the third one managed to escape and narrated the ordeal of her colleagues to their parents.

Batema added that Besiime jumped from the bush and directed the victims to lie down and started defiling them one by one as he threatened to cut them with a panga if they declined to have sex with him.

He said one of the two girls refused to give in but Besiime who had a matchbox, lit a bundle of grass and burnt the girl’s legs forcing her to open them and he defiled her.

“Were you playing with those children? I have no apologies over the 40 years given to you,” said Batema, adding, “if you had gone to the third girl, you would have got another 20 years."

The inmates demanded for the removal of state attorneys accusing them of being corrupt and extorting bribes from suspects and those who fail to give them money are not granted bail.

Lwanga warned the public against bribing state attorneys saying it is a crime. She said removing them would lead to continued delay in disposing off cases.

“We want state attorneys to be near to handle your cases. I suggest that they stay but if you have any problem against the manner in which a particular attorney is handling the case, you should let us know,” Lwanga said.