Treason allegations: Besigye, Lutale’s trial starts today

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The hearing of a case in which four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye and his aide, Hajji Obeid Lutale, are accused of treason, starts today at the High Court in Kampala.

However, in the last court session, the duo boycotted court proceedings after Justice Emmanuel Baguma of the Criminal Division of the High Court refused to recuse himself from their case.

The duo’s lawyers, led by Erias Lukwago, want the judge to step down from the case, citing concerns over the judge’s alleged bias.

Besigye and Lutale have been adamant not to appear before Baguma, saying he mishandled their mandatory bail application. The judge declined to grant bail to the duo on the grounds that they had not spent over 180 days on remand without trial as alleged.

Lukwago insists that Besigye and Lutale’s treason case file was wrongly assigned to Baguma as the same must be before the International Crimes Division of the High Court, where the accused were committed to stand trial by the Nakawa Court. 

Besigye and Lutale are jointly charged with treason alongside Captain Denis Oola of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), attached to the Armoured Brigade. They also face a charge of misprision of treason.

Treason carries a maximum penalty of death upon conviction, while misprision of treason is punishable by life imprisonment.

Allegations

Prosecution alleges that Besigye, Lutale, Oola and others still at large, between 2023 and 2024, in various countries, including Switzerland, Greece, Kenya and in Kampala, Uganda, contrived to overturn the Government of Uganda by force of arms.

According to the charge sheet, Besigye, Lutale, Oola and others still at large, between 2023 and 2024, knowing that another person intended to commit treason, did not give information to Ugandan authorities to prevent the commission of treason, which amounts to misprision of treason.

Particulars of over acts

Prosecution alleges that the accused persons travelled to various countries including Switzerland, Greece and Kenya, for purposes of attending meetings to further the plot to overturn the Government of Uganda.

Court documents indicate that the accused attended meetings with various individuals both physically and virtually in various places, including Geneva in Switzerland, Athens in Greece, Nairobi in Kenya and in Kampala, in furtherance of the plot to overturn the Government of Uganda.

According to documents, the accused persons provided logistical support and organised for several Ugandan citizens to travel to Kisumu in Kenya for the purpose of receiving training in various military and intelligence gathering techniques.

It is further alleged that the trio solicited military, financial and other logistical support to overturn the Government of Uganda.