Court has this afternoon thrown out the case that was logged in by embattled Jinja RDC Eric Sakwa againt the attorney general and Hajji Kakande Yunus, a Secretary in the office of the President.
Former RDC Sakwa sought to block his interdicition from office, which he feels was a wrong move.
Jinja High Court Justice Hon. Jeanne Rwakakoko presided over the hearing.
It should be remembered that Sakwa was interdicted from office by a May 4th letter signed by Hajji Yunus Kakande, a Secretary in the Office of the President.
“You are hereby interdicted from your position as Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and therefore barred from exercising the powers and functions of your office with immediate effect,” read.
Sakwa was remanded and charged for man slaughter among other crimes that he committed when he was Jinja RDC.
her ruling, Justice Rwakakoko said “the Applicant (Mr. Sakwa), though appointed by the President in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, is a Public Officer and bound by the Public Service Standing Orders.”
She upheld the Sakwa’s interdiction saying; “by virtue of Regulation 38 of the Public Service Commission Regulations, the 2nd Respondent (Hajji Kakande), being the “Responsible Officer” in the President’s Office, had the legal capacity to interdict the Applicant who is a “Public Officer”, stopping him from exercising his powers and performing the functions of the office of the Resident District Commissioner, Jinja, until the Applicant is cleared of the charge of manslaughter against him.”
“I agree that the decision to interdict is not subject to the right to be heard first since interdiction is but a first step towards disciplinary proceedings. Therefore, there was no need for the Applicant to be heard before he was interdicted,” Ms. Rwakakoko concluded after which she ordered Sakwa to clear legal fees.
