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The Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court on Friday morning charged Col Dr Kizza Besigye, his friend Obeid Lutale and UPDF’s Capt Denis Oola on offences related to “Treason” and “Mispreason of Treason.”
The accused were brought to the court in the morning hours, just a day after their files were transferred from the General Court Martial.
At the court, Dr Besigye arrived looking weak and had to be wheeled into the dock in a wheelchair by prison officers.
Offence details
The trio was read the charges whose details entail attempting “by force of arms, to overturn the government of Uganda as by law established,” and “expressing or declaring such a plot, act or matter by utterances and overt acts.”
It is further alleged that the accused persons carried out the offices between 2023 and November 2024 in Geneva Switzerland, Athens Greece, Nairobi Kenya and Kampala.
They were also accused of “attending meetings to plot further to overturn the government of Uganda as by law established” as well as providing logistical support and organising Ugandan citizens to travel to Kisumu, Kenya “for the purpose of receiving training in various military and intelligence gathering techniques.”
Regarding the alternate charge of “Mispreeason of Treason,” the three were accused of failing to give information to the relevant authorities about the plan to overturn the government of Uganda.
The suspects were not allowed to take a plea, being that the offences were capital in nature and could only be tried by the High Court
Health Concerns
In their submissions, the defence lawyers pleaded with the court to give an order for Dr Besigye to be taken to a private health facility for specialised management of his condition.
Lukwago noted that Besigye needed to be taken to a medical facility to be examined and accorded attention that is specialised in nature “because as of now, Luzira Prison where he is being detained has no facilities to do the specialised examination.”
He further noted that a day earlier, the Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate suspended a separate trial of Dr Besigye for 60 days on account of his failing health, and that days earlier, he had to be removed from a High Court session for fear that he could collapse.
The defence lawyers, however, opposed the request, urging the magistrate to seek first evidence from Uganda Prisons that Besigye’s condition couldn’t be managed inside the prison health facility.
In her ruling, the magistrate advised Lukwago to file their request before the High Court.
“I am constrained to make such an order because my jurisdiction in this matter which is a capital offence is to communicate the charges to the accused persons and investigations are done and commuted to the High Court for trial."
"Since A1 is represented, he is advised to seek remedy from the High Court.”
The Magistrate remanded the three accused persons to Luzira Upper Prison until March 7.