State attorney survives lynching by mob

PIC: The suspects' relatives charge at the prosecutor Peter Mugisha after he denied DP youth activists bail at Buganda Road Court on Wednesday. Photos by Wilfred Sanya

State prosecutor Peter Mugisha survived being lynched by a group of angry mob in court.

This was after the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro denied bail to five Democratic Party (DP) youth activists. The accused include former DP youth leader Moses Bigirwa, Allan Kitonsa, Juma Kayondo, Harunah Nsibuka and Hakim Kizza Saula.

Suspctes: Moses, Bigima Hakim Kiiza,

 
Mugisha fell victim of the angry mob who were protesting the bail denial saying that it was an orchestrated plan to deny justice to their fellow activists. "We spent one hour waiting for the magistrate, the bail application ruling was supposed to be heard at 3:00pm but the magistrate came at 4:15pm," a one chief Mbowa shouted as he attacked Mugisha.

He was joined by other activists who attempted to strangle Mugisha asking him to produce the identity cards of the sureties. Mugisha was rescued by the Police led by Siraje Bakaleke from the angry mob on Tuesday.

Suspects confronting prison officer after they were denied bail

 
The suspects in the dock also caused chaos as they refused to leave the docket, claiming that getting bail is their constitutional right.

"We sleep like pigs in Luzira, yet we are innocent. It's now the third time we are being denied bail," Kizza, one of the suspects shouted at the prison warders as they wrestled him to leave the court docket.The DP activists also hurled sectarianism insults at the police officers led by Siraje Bakaleke, who came in to quell the situation.

"How can you release a murderer Baguma and you retain my husband? I'm bringing my kids to your office tomorrow so that you give them school fees," a one Rashidah Nambowa shouted.

In her ruling, Aciro denied the accused bail on grounds that the documents presented before court by the sureties were not genuine.

 
"I have looked at the documents of the sureties and they are not genuine. I, therefore, deny bail to the five accused," Aciro said.

She implored the accused to file a fresh bail application when they get genuine sureties.

"In your bail application, I never saw any genuine reason such as family matters, which could convince court to grant you bail," Aciro added.

The magistrate also rejected an application by defence lawyer Lawrence Yiga to apply for fresh bail yesterday before she adjourned the case to October 4, when the accused will be produced in court again.    

 
They were charged last Friday with public incitement and assault before they were remanded to Luzira Prisons.

Prosecution alleges that the accused on September 14, 2016 at the parliamentary main gate in Kampala, without lawful excuse made statements calculated to incite violence.

It further alleges that on the same day, they also assaulted Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Benson Ombworoh while executing his duty.

They were demonstrating over Nakifuuma MP Kafeero Ssekitoleko proposal to amend the age limit for judges. The proposal has since been suspended by the speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga.