Bomb suspects petition halted over court house

Bomb suspects with one of their lawyers, Mr Caleb Alaku (R), at the High Court in Kampala last year. PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE. 


KAMPALA
Hearing of the petition by suspects who were remanded in connection to the July 2010 Kampala twin bombings, has been delayed over security reasons at the court.

The Constitutional Court had set October 17 for hearing of the petition challenging the extradition of the suspects from the respective countries where they were arrested from.

Mr Duncan Ondimu, one of the lawyers representing the suspects, confirmed the extension but blamed the Judiciary for delaying the case. “After serving the production warrant to prison authorities, I received a call from the Attorney General’s office that the hearing of the petition had been extended for security reasons,” he said. According to Mr Ondimu, the building is not deemed safe for security purpose due to lack of holding cells. “But even if they are proposing another venue, this is a lame excuse after the relatives travelled from far and they (government) rented the building well knowing that courts have to be safe.”

Documents before the Constitutional Court indicate that the group is challenging the manner in which they were arrested and extradited from Kenya.

It is alleged that security officials did not follow the legal means of Kenya in transferring them to Uganda for trial hence they cannot be prosecuted based on an illegal process.

The suspects were indicted for trial over charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder and being an accessory to terrorism over the July 11, 2010, city twin bombing that left at least 76 people dead and scores injured at Kyadongo Rugby Club in Lugogo and Ethiopian Village Restaurant in Kabalagala, both in Kampala.

The High Court halted the trial of the group and others pending determination of the Constitutional petition seeking to challenge their extradition from the countries where they were arrested from. According to the charge sheet, the group and others still at large in Kampala with intent to influence government or intimidate the public and for a political, religious, social or economic aim without due regard to safety of others or property, intentionally and unlawfully, delivered and discharged explosives with intent to cause death and serious injury.