Softspoken deputy head of the Criminal Division of the High Court Justice Emmanuel Baguma stood his ground and refused to be absolved by public pressure to fix the hearing notice for the hearing of the bail application filed by lawyers representing opposition strongman Dr Kizza Besigye and his political assistant Hajji Obed Kamulegeya Lutale.
Last week, Kampala Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago led Besigye’s local lawyers to meet Baguma in his chamber after learning from Justice Isa Sserukuma that he was ordered to surrender Besigye’s file which was set to be heard over to justice Baguma.
Lukwago said that in the meeting, they pleaded with Justice Baguma to surrender one of the files to another judge if he was busy with other engagements which he declined to do.
He assured them that he will fix the hearing of the file at his convenient date which annoyed the lawyers and they threatened to storm Justice Jane Kajuga the Principal Judge’s chambers or the Deputy Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija or the offices of the Chief Justice Owiny Dollo.
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One of the lawyers representing Besigye told this website that after realising that Justice Baguma had stood his ground and vowed not to fix their client’s file, they involved their international lawyers led by Kenyan senior lawyer Marth Karua who by last week was in United States.
Karua vowed to immediatly come to Kampala and help.
On Thursday, lawyers stormed the Criminal Division of the High Court thinking that Besigye and his co-accused were going to appear because it was the date scheduled for their appearance.
However, to their surprise, they were informed that their production warrants to the prisons bosses were not signed by the registrar.
Lukwago said that they decided to seek the help of the head of the Division Justice David Matovu who advised them to wait for Justice Baguma to explain to them why he is not fixing their client’s file because he was on the way.
When Justice Baguma reached, he told them that he will only meet three lawyers and the team Zeroed on Karua, Lukwago and Counsel Ernest Kalibbala.
However, according to Lukwago, the judge was very furious seeing another lawyer and they pleaded with him that he was Richard Birivumbuka who was with them to represent the interests of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) who assigned him to prosecute the matter.
Lukwago said that in the meeting, the judge assured them that he will not be pressured to fix the bail applications. He told them that he will issue the notice to them when he gets time which angered the lawyers.
Serial litigant Male Mabirizi who was escorting Besigye’s lawyer claimed that Justice Baguma took over the powers of Justice Matovu his boss and he has started allocating files which he has interests in to himself, that is the reason why Matovu is very scared about commenting on his actions.
Lukwago also accused Nakawa Chief Magistrate Christine Nantege of refusing to forward Besigye’s files to the Crimes War Division of the High Court where he is expected to be prosecuted with other accused persons after being committed to the High Court.
However, this website has established that the files at Nakawa Court are ready and will be forwarded to the High Court anytime.
In a related development, Besigye and Lutale dragged President William Ruto’s government to the High Court of Kenya accusing them of being involved in their kidnap by Ugandan operatives who illegally brought them back to Uganda and charged them with offences related to treason.
Besigye and other suspects are accused of having a plan to assassinate President Museveni and poison top government officials, allegations which they deny.
