By URN
Edward Ssebuwufu alias Eddie Mutwe, the head of the civilian security detail for the National Unity Platform-NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has been remanded to prison for assaulting police officers.
Ssebufu, alongside three other NUP campaign coordinators; Stanley Kafuko, Lukeman Kampala and Hassan Katumba were on Monday remanded to prison by Masaka Chief Magistrate Charles Yeitesi who read to the six charges of assaulting police officers and damaging a police patrol vehicle.
According to the statement of offense presented before the court, the four suspects and others still at large on December 26th last year, while on the NUP campaign trail at Kifuuta village located in Kyotera district, assaulted five police officers who were executing their duties. They are accused of assaulting Assistant Superintendent of Police-ASP Godfrey Musiime, Probation Police Constable PPC Barbara Entang, and Corporals Mike Kingalu, Jonathan Okalebo, and Jude Bweri.
Court also heard that the suspects are also accused of hitting and damaging police patrol vehicle registration number UP 2573, which had been used to transport the officers for deployment.
However, Masaka Chief Magistrate Charles Yeitesi declined to hear the bail application before remanding the accused persons to Masaka Main prisons up to January 19th. The Magistrate ruled that the court was out of time to listen and determine the bail application of the suspects, indicating that charges were mentioned after 07 PM in the evening, hence being too late for the trial to proceed.
Meanwhile, the four suspects had earlier appeared before the same court on different charges of causing incitement to violence and engaging in acts likely to lead to the spreading of Covid-19; offenses they had been bailed for. The four were among the 96 NUP supporters and campaign coordinators who have been in police dentation since Wednesday last week when they were arrested in Kalangala district where the NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi had gone to campaign.
Jacob Nahurira, as assistant State Attorney attached to Masaka told court that suspects committed the offices at Kibaale village, Kagulube parish, Kalangala district, as they mobilized the people for a public rally contrary to the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health. 91 of the suspects who were represented by Magellan Kazibwe successfully argued the bail, which was at a cash fee of 100,000 shillings each and the sureties also bonded at 5 million shillings noncash.
Kazibwe has however bemoaned to court the poor state of health state in which many of the suspects appeared before court for trail, indicating there were clear indicators that they were tortured while in police custody and had visible injuries inflicted onto them. He says that they are going to document evidence of torture against the suspect, to support the prosecution of the culpable security officers.
Kazibwe has on the other hand noted that they will not wait for the remaining period imposed by court, indicating that they are considering applying to a higher court for production warrant to have the charges labeled against their clients heard in the shortest time possible to allow them to participate in forthcoming elections slated for next week.
The suspects appeared before the court amid very tight security mounted by both police and the army that also had to divert traffic away for the road near Masaka High Court premises.
