General David Sejusa will spend some time in Luzira maximum prison. This comes after the Military Court Martial, chaired by Major General Levi Karuhanga charged the maverick combatant with being Absent Without Leave among other charges.
But all this didn’t happen without incident; Gen Sejusa’s lawyer David Mushabe questioned the jurisdiction of the court as he pressed to know whether his client is still a serving officer when all his entitlements were taken away.
Mushabe also told journalists that client did not even have a chance to look at the charge sheet. “It took prosecution 20 minutes to hand over charge sheet yet we were only given a 15 minutes break. We didn’t even have time to advise our client,” Mushabe said.
Speaking at court before he was driven off to Luzira, Gen. Sejusa told journalists briefly about his earlier detention facility, where he had been detained since Sunday.
“ I was locked up in a dungeon where Amin took me in 1972; but I was comfortable with the place. I had a captain for a guard,” he said.
The charges
Defense lawyer Mushabe says Gen. Sejusa is charged with uttering public statements on April 27, 2015 at Justice Forum offices, contravening the UPDF code of conduct. The General is also charged for attending opposition leader Rtd Col. Dr. Kiiza Besigye’s nomination rally on November 4, 2015. At the same rally, the general asked supporters to vote for the FDC flag bearer in the upcoming elections.
Gen. Sejusa has also been charged with insubordination; for allegedly defying army chief Katumba Wamala’s orders not to attend political rallies; but Gen. Sejusa attended political rallies in Kabale and Arua.
Although Sejusa’s bush buddy president Museveni had ordered the army to retire the general during their meeting last year, the army didn’t effect the order.
Critics think Gen. Sejusa’s silence since the campaigns began is the main reason he has been sent to Luzira!
