While appearing before Justice Lawrence Tweyanze, the Masaka resident state attorney Mr Richard Birivumbuka, told the court that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) had issued a certificate of no objection to that effect.
MPs Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya have finally been granted bail on the file that has been keeping them in prison.
Masaka High Court Judge has granted a cah Bail to MPs Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) and Muhammed Sseggirinya (Kawempe North) after spending 16 months in jail.. The MPs were not physically brought to the court but through Zoom video from Kigo main Prison
Each will execute a bond of Shs 20m cash and their sureties are bonded to Shs 50m each non cash. The sureties include; Mr Joseph Ssewungu Gonzaga (Kalungu West MP) and Mr Moses Kasibante (former Rubaga North MP) who stood for Mr Ssewanyana while; Ms. Florence Namayanja (Masaka City Mayor) and Mr Bagonza Thomas (Kawempe Division Councilor) stood for Mr Ssegirinya.
This was after the state withdrew affidavits blocking the legislators’ bail application and instead set terms for the bail.
This is after several of their attempts to be released on bail were frustrated, including being rearrested while they left prison.
Both legislators mandated to deposit their passports.
Among the conditions the state put for the duo to be granted bail was a deposit of a substantial amount of money, and their passports such that they could only leave the country on permission. They were also warned against interfering with the state witnesses among other terms.
The defence lawyers led by Counsel Caleb Alaka welcomed the decision by the state to withdraw the affidavits against the bail application.
“We have no objection to the application to withdraw the affidavits and we preciously welcome it on behalf of our clients,” he said.
Mr Alaka asked the court to grant the applicants bail on a reasonable amount of money since they had been under detention long enough.
He also said that the applicant’s passports had been deposited in the registrar’s office at the international crimes division, and he had no issues with the court retaining them.
Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya, were arrested on September 7th, 2021 in connection to the machete killings in greater Masaka districts.
the duo, who has been on remand for more than a year, for being allegedly accused of being behind the wave of killings by machete-wielding gangs in the Greater Masaka area about two years ago, during the night of August 2, 2021, at Kisekka .B. Village in Lwengo District, with malice aforethought, unlawfully killed Joseph Bwanika. Whereas, in the Kampala case file, the MPs alongside others are accused of terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, murder, and attempted murder. The duo denied all the charges in both files.
The cases were committed to the High Court after investigations into the matters were concluded by police.
