Besigye Treason Case Moved to Civil Court, Opposition Leader Ends Hunger Strike  

The Director of Public Prosecutions Jane Frances Abodo has officially taken over  the treason case against  4 time  presidential  candidate  Retired Col Dr Kizza Besigye.

Besigye is accused alongsudehis aide Hajji Obeid Lutaale Kamulegeya and a UPDF officer Captain Denis Oula.

The tri has been officially charged before the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court.

The DPP preffered charges of treason against the trio hence dropping charges of  unlawful possession of firearms and ammuntions that had been preffered by the General Court Martial.

The trio had their first  trial  nullified  before the  General Court Martial last month when the Supreme court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to try offences committed by civillians

Besigye has been brought to court while being  pushed in a wheel chair since he is unable to walk on his own.

The production of the trio  follows a request made by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on Thursday in Exparte proceedings .

Assistant DPPs   Thomas Jatiko,  Lino Anguzi and Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka are the prosecutors .

The charge sheet reads that  Besigye, Lutaale , Capt. Oola  and others still at large between the year 2023 and November 2024 at various places/countries including Geneva in Switzerland, Athens in Greece, Nairobi in Kenya, Kampala, contrived a plot,  or acted  by force of arms to overturn the Government of Uganda and expressed such a  plot, through  utterances and overt acts.

The particulars of the overt acts are: 

1. Travelling to various countries including Switzerland, Greece, Kenya for purposes of attending meetings to further the plot to overturn the government of Uganda as by law established.
2. Attending meetings with various individuals both physically and virtually in various places 
3. Utterances to various individuals during meetings and privately expressing desire and intent to overturn the government of Uganda
4. Providing logistical support and organizing for several Ugandan citizens to travel to Kisumu, Kenya for the purpose of receiving training in various military and intelligence gathering techniques and 
5. Soliciting for military, financial and other logistical support to overturn the government of Uganda as by law established.

The DPP contends if Besigye and co-suspects are not found guilty of treason , an  alternative charge of misprison of treason has been preffered  in which the  Prosecutors contend that:

Besigye, Lutaale and Captain Oola and others still at large between the year 2023 and November 2024 at various places including Geneva in Switzerland, Athens in Greece, Nairobi in Kenya, Kampala, knowing that another person intended to commit treason, did not report  to the Minister, an administrative officer, a Magistrate or an officer in charge of a police Station or use all reasonable endeavors to prevent the commission of the treason.

The Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court has no power or jurisdiction to entertain a plea on these charges as such power is vested in the Highcourt where they will also ask to be released on bail.

This implies that Besigye and Lutale are now in legal detention at Luzira prison although his lawyers had asked that he is remanded and taken to a health facility of his own choice.

His lawyer Elias Lukwago  has also announced that  after appearig in a civil court, Besigye has officially ended the hunger strike and will soon apply to be released on bail.