High Court stops Muhwezi, Mukula trial
Sep 15, 2008
THE High Court has ordered Buganda Road Chief Magistrates’ Court to stop the trial of the former health ministers.
By Charles Ariko and Edward Anyoli
THE High Court has ordered Buganda Road Chief Magistrates’ Court to stop the trial of the former health ministers.
This followed an application yesterday by the accused’s lawyers to halt the proceedings until a petition filed in the High Court is disposed of.
The accused filed the petition in the High Court last year challenging their trial by Margaret Tibulya, the Chief Magistrate of Buganda Road Court.
Former health minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi and his deputies Capt. Mike Mukula and Dr. Alex Kamugisha together with Alice Kaboyo, a former State House aide, are accused of misappropriating sh1.6b donor funds.
Muhwezi and his co-accused expressed fears that their trial would be unfair because Tibulya is related to Faith Mwondha, the Inspector General of Government who is prosecuting the case.
They also challenged the powers of the IGG to prosecute them as opposed to the Director of Public Prosecutions who is mandated to do so.
Yesterday, Justice Augustus Kania was due to hear the petition, but was informed that Buganda Road Court was carrying out a parallel trial despite a petition filed at the High Court and another at the Constitutional Court in which the accused are contesting their trial. Kania ordered that the matter at the lower court waits until the petition in the High Court is disposed of.
THE High Court has ordered Buganda Road Chief Magistrates’ Court to stop the trial of the former health ministers.
This followed an application yesterday by the accused’s lawyers to halt the proceedings until a petition filed in the High Court is disposed of.
The accused filed the petition in the High Court last year challenging their trial by Margaret Tibulya, the Chief Magistrate of Buganda Road Court.
Former health minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi and his deputies Capt. Mike Mukula and Dr. Alex Kamugisha together with Alice Kaboyo, a former State House aide, are accused of misappropriating sh1.6b donor funds.
Muhwezi and his co-accused expressed fears that their trial would be unfair because Tibulya is related to Faith Mwondha, the Inspector General of Government who is prosecuting the case.
They also challenged the powers of the IGG to prosecute them as opposed to the Director of Public Prosecutions who is mandated to do so.
Yesterday, Justice Augustus Kania was due to hear the petition, but was informed that Buganda Road Court was carrying out a parallel trial despite a petition filed at the High Court and another at the Constitutional Court in which the accused are contesting their trial. Kania ordered that the matter at the lower court waits until the petition in the High Court is disposed of.