Over 40 defense lawyers representing jailed Kizza Besigye and hajji obed lutale, vowed not to proceed with the case before their colleague Maj (rtd) Ronald Iduuli is set free and their Kenyan lead Counsel Martha Karua given a temporary practicing certificate by Uganda Law Counsel (ULC).
When the lawyers appeared before the seven-man teal of the General Court Martial (GCM) led by Brig Freeman Mugabe, they reported that the ULC had refused to give Martha Karua the temporary practicing certificate and requested that the case be deferred to allow them engage ULC again.
“Mr. Chairman and members of the Tribunal, our status quo hasn’t changed, our lead counsel remains Martha Karua, all we pray is for more time to allow us another chance to engage ULC.
The second reason is that this morning we received bad news concerning the abduction of our fellow lawyer Maj Ronald Iduuli by security personnel and with his absence on this panel, we are unable to proceed,” Lukwago submitted.
However, it was later established from the army spokesperson Brig Felix Kulaigye that Maj Ronald Iduuli a 50yr former defense lawyer of the General Court Martial (GCM), who retired from the army in 2016 was arrested on charges of threatening violence.
“He [Iduuli] was arrested by police for threatening violence on his land lady after failing to clear rent arrears for ten (10) months. Is that also a way of defending Dr Besigye?” Kurayigye retorted.
Kurayigye’s comment was somehow similar to that of Kampala Metropolitan police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango, who told us that the arrest was after a 44-year-old nurse Lydia Kabira of Kibira-Bbira village in Wakiso lodged a case of threatening violence.
It was then that police together with military officers swung into action to arrest iduuli and he is currently held at Kawempe police station.
Maj Iduuli likely to also appear in army court
Even though threatening violence is a criminal case tried in civilian courts, Maj Iduuli who retired from the army in 2016 is also likely to appear in the General Court Martial (GCM).
In our investigations, it was revealed that while conducting the forceful search of his residence by security agencies at night, some military fatigues were allegedly found in his rented house.
“Something came out of his misconduct, the Major [Iduuli] should have handed in the military stores that were found in his house at retirement,” Kulaigye added.
If at all this allegation is true, then Dr Besigye is more likely to miss Iduuli’s representation in his case where the duo (Besigye and Lutale) is accused of being in possession of two pistols and eight live ammunition in Nairobi Kenya last month.
Efforts to get a comment from Lukwago to ascertain whether this allegation if true would not affect Besigye’s legal team were fruitless as he did not answer our phone calls. But by the time of the story publication, Wakiso Chief magistrates Court had set December 13, 2024 at 10am to hear an application filed by Iduli’s lawyers, seeking unconditional release of the suspect.
Away from the Iduuli issue, another Kenyan human rights lawyer Kieme Gicheru revealed to journalists on Tuesday that despite the fact that he was also denied a temporary practicing certificate, he and other lawyers are determined to put a stop on the vice of abducting other nationalities from Kenya.
“Though I was denied a Uganda practicing certificate to join this panel, we have established that the source of abducting people from our country is here in Uganda, we are going to work together with other countries and we shall leave no stone unturned in stopping this illegal act, said Gicheru.
On her part, Martha Karua warned the Uganda Law Council (ULC) led by justice Irene Mulyagonja not to exhibit double standards in issuing practicing certificates a move that undermines the unity of East African.
“Though ULC denied me a practicing certificate, a certified lawyer holding an East African passport, I warn the ULC not to exhibit double standards. If you allowed president Museveni to use lawyers from Kenya for a civil matter, a criminal matter is more serious than a civil matter because it involves the right of liberty of our clients Besigye and Obed Lutale,” said Martha.
Another prominent human right lawyer from Angola, Ms. Emilia Nangcovia who also joined Besigye’s defense team stressed that fellow lawyers from other parts of Africa are in unison in the fight against violation of human rights in army courts.
Other politicians who criticized Besigye’s trial in the army court included former CDF Gen Mugisha Muntu and the leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi who strained their voices to be heard after a military driver turned up sirens during a media briefing that happened outside the entrance of Court Martial.
We are also going to bring you a verbatim (word by word) of the Tuesday’s court proceedings which was full of accusations and counter accusations for two hours.
By; Siraje Lubwama,
Senior Investigative Journalist in crime, court land matters, human Rights.
Freelance Journalist, with Alternative Digitalk