Dr. Kizza Besigye, Hajji Obeid Lutale, and Captain Denis Oola have been denied grant to the mandatry bail.
The Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court, Judge Christine Nantege, cited a lack of jurisdiction, sparking sharp protest from the defence team, and advised them to apply to the High Court.
Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused have now spent more than six months behind bars, and yesterday, Thursday, appeared before the court seeking release under Article 23 (c) of the constitution.
The clause provides that suspects held over 180 days without committal for trial are entitled to mandatory bail, but the clause has been breached.
According to one of Dr. Besigye’s lawyers, Mr. David Mpanga, the accused have so far spent 196 days in prison.
He added that their detention exceeds the constitutional threshold, noting that the right to mandatory bail is ripe and must be honoured.
The charges that were slapped against Dr. Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale were linked to a file filed before the General Court Martial on 24th November under file number UPDF GCM/040/2024
