Uganda Tables Anti-Terrorism Bill

By J. Kakande & J. Odyek THE Suppression of Terrorism Bill, 2001, that seeks to impose a mandatory death sentence for terrorists and any person who aids, abets, finances or supports terrorism was yesterday tabled before Parliament. The long-awaited Bill was tabled by the Minister of State for Security, Muruli Mukasa. US embassy diplomats on Tuesday appeared before the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee and urged Parliament to pass the Bill expeditiously. After the minister tabled the Bill, the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, referred it to the appropriate committee (Internal Affairs) for scrutiny. The Bill is intended to suppress acts of terrorism by imposing tough sentences for terrorists, their sponsors and supporters. The Bill seeks to give the High Court “extra-territorial jurisdiction” to try any offence relating to terrorism committed within or outside Uganda. It also seeks to give extra-ordinary powers to officers engaged in anti-terrorism investigations to carry out surveillance against suspects. These powers include accessing suspects’ bank accounts and intercepting their phone calls, faxes, e-mail and other communication. “Subject to this Act, any person who engages in or carries out any act of terrorism commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to death,” Section 7 (1) of the Bill states. The Bill defines terrorism as the “use of violence or threat of violence with intent to promote or achieve political, religious, economic and cultural or social ends in an unlawful manner and includes the use of violence or threat of violence to put the public in fear or alarm.” It provides that a person who intentionally and unlawfully manufactures, delivers, places, discharges or detonates an explosive in a place of public use or government facility with intent to cause death or destruction shall be liable to life imprisonment. It will be a misprision of terrorism for any person not to report acts of terrorism. A person convicted of misprision of terrorism shall be liable to life imprisonment. It would also be a misprision of terrorism for an individual not to report his housemate’s disappearance if he suspects him to be involved in terrorism. The same would apply to an employer. The individual or employer would be liable to five years’ imprisonment or a fine not exceeding sh5m. Ends