The Gulu Magistrate Court has adjourned yet again the treason case against Bobi Wine and 34 others charged in Arua District in August, the Daily Monitor reports.
The prosecution requested the adjournment, saying that the police have yet to conclude their investigation. The unending delays have brought attention to numerous glaring irregularities with the case:
One of the defence lawyers, Mr Henry Komakech Kilama, said the accused persons are incurring a lot of expenses in travelling to attend the court sessions since most of them stay in Kampala and Arua District.
Magistrate Kintu, who presided over the case in his ruling concurred with the defence team and tasked prosecution team to speed up their investigation.
“I therefore urge the prosecution team to speed up inquiries. I also observed that most of the accused persons come from outside of this jurisdiction and in fact none of them comes from within the locality of this jurisdiction,” he said.
Mr Kilama also asked court to issue fresh summon against officers in charge of Criminal Investigation Departments [CIDs] in Arua and Gulu Districts to appear in court and explain about his clients’ (suspects’) property which include vehicles, IPads, phones, laptops and money still in police custody.
Earlier in October, Magistrate Yunus Ndiwalana who had been handling the treason case had ordered the CIDs to appear before the court to explain why they are still holding the said property which were allegedly being used by SFC soldiers to track and con money from unsuspecting persons.
As the trial enters its sixth month without any evidence presented, observers’ eyes will be increasingly turned towards the Gulu High Court. Read more in the Daily Monitor.