Prosecute those who spread Aine Murder propaganda-Museveni Lawyer

A senior lawyer who defended President Yoweri Museveni in a presidential petition before the Supreme Court has demanded for an apology from those who claimed Christopher Aine had been murdered by the state.

Joseph Matsiko of Kampala Associated Advocates singled out former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, his lawyers and political activist Charles Rwomushana among others as individuals who should immediately apologise failure of which police should proceed to open up criminal cases against them.

"It was so painful, despicable and totally unacceptable in this day and age when we are trying to build harmony even as we have different political inclinations, that a group of people actually came out without any iota of evidence and deliberately accused some of the most upright/right standing leaders of this country of murder," Matsiko said.

Matsiko said the issue of Aine had was one of the major grounds that was relied on in support of Amama Mbabazi Presidential petition against Museveni, the Electoral Commission and the ARtonney General.

"The allegation was that the first Respondent (Museveni) acting through the Police headed by the IGP had actually caused the disappearance Aine who according to them by insinuation was dead," Matsiko said.

Matsiko said this was totally unacceptable and was atrocious with regard to people's reputations and their standings in society. He said that the false accusations were made in a political contest aimed at the principal political actor in the NRM, President Museveni  and were also aimed at the head of Police Gen. Kayihura.

"It is really despicable to accuse the Head of State and head of Police and to directly or sometimes by insinuation accuse them of murder. For me this is something that should not be taken lightly. Whoever played a role in fabricating these lies and disseminating them must be brought to book in accordance with the law," Matsiko added.

He said it very unfortunate that the opposition had to rely on fabricated allegations they knew or ought to have known to be without legal basis.

"It seriously paints a seriously negative picture of the kind of opposition we have and the kind of politics being played," he further said.

He said the Aine saga was a summary of the lies peddled by the opposition throughout the campaign period, during the election period, in the Presidential election petition and even to the present. He said these lies were not only on Aine but were now being extended on an election that had been settled  Ugandans, whose validity had been determined by the justices of the Supreme court in an Unprecedented unanimous decision.

"I am happy that Aine ia alive but this should be a lesson to politicians to start engaging on politics based  on principles and not deception or character assassination and label people murderers without form of regard to people reputation, character, personality, families and reputation they have built over years," he added.

Rwomushana was arrested by police after he shared photos that he claimed were those of Aine after he been murdered by police. The same photos were published by a tabloid and the editors arrested.