In a few minutes FDC stalwart Dr. Kizza Besigye will be appearing before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s court for a fresh hearing of his treason case as accused by government.
This follows an application by the State on Monday, in which the government legal team applied to court to have Dr Besigye’s file transferred from Moroto to Nakawa Court, on the grounds that Besigye committed the treason charges he is facing in Kampala and Wakiso districts, not Moroto. Accordingly the Nakawa Chief Magistrate, Mr James Eremye, yesterday issued a production warrant to Luzira prison officials to produce Dr Besigye in court at 9am today.
A statement released by the judiciary yesterday, through its spokesman Solomon Muyita, indicated that the transferal of Besigye’s file and case to the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s court means the earlier proceedings in Moroto are now all null and void, and that the FDC strongman is to be arraigned and charged (with treason) afresh at Nakawa Court today at 9am.
Dr Besigye has been in Luzira Prison since Monday afternoon, having been flown there from Moroto prison after the court session in which he was remanded at Moroto prison until May 25.
However, yesterday evening Besigye’s lawyer, Yusuf Nsibambi said as the accused’s legal team they were yet to receive any invitations to the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s to represent their client in the transferred and refreshed case. Nsibambi also said that Besigye’s transfer from Moroto to Luzira hadn’t been officially communicated to them as his legal representatives –that they were hearing of everything from the media.
