22 PRA suspects still under General Court Martial
Feb 15, 2006
THE army has said it will not drop charges against FDC presidential candidate Kizza Besigye’s 22 co-accused.
By Jude Etyang and Maurice Okore
THE army has said it will not drop charges against FDC presidential candidate Kizza Besigye’s 22 co-accused.
UPDF spokesman Felix Kulayigye said Besigye was no longer a subject of the General Court Martial (GCM), following the Constitutional Court ruling on January 30.
Kulayigye said the Constitutional Court declaration did not apply to the 22 PRA rebel suspects because they were not named as parties to the petition.
“Counsel for the petitioner (Uganda Law Society) clearly stated in Court that he was not representing the PRA suspects but rather brought the petition in public interest,†Kulayigye said.
Besigye’s lawyer, who also represents the 22 co-accused, Sam Njuba, was outraged by their continued detention and trial, calling it a ploy to persecute the other suspects “quietly.â€
He said the army removed Besigye from the charge sheet to take attention away from the case and “squeeze†the other suspects into submission.
“The ruling was on the application of the Uganda Law Society (ULS),†Njuba said.
THE army has said it will not drop charges against FDC presidential candidate Kizza Besigye’s 22 co-accused.
UPDF spokesman Felix Kulayigye said Besigye was no longer a subject of the General Court Martial (GCM), following the Constitutional Court ruling on January 30.
Kulayigye said the Constitutional Court declaration did not apply to the 22 PRA rebel suspects because they were not named as parties to the petition.
“Counsel for the petitioner (Uganda Law Society) clearly stated in Court that he was not representing the PRA suspects but rather brought the petition in public interest,†Kulayigye said.
Besigye’s lawyer, who also represents the 22 co-accused, Sam Njuba, was outraged by their continued detention and trial, calling it a ploy to persecute the other suspects “quietly.â€
He said the army removed Besigye from the charge sheet to take attention away from the case and “squeeze†the other suspects into submission.
“The ruling was on the application of the Uganda Law Society (ULS),†Njuba said.