The director of public prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo has dropped charges against Mityana Municipality MP, Francis Zaake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The legislator was picked up from his residency in Buswabulongo in Mityana municipality on April 19, 2020, on accusations of distributing food to his constituents contrary to the Covid-19 prevention guidelines. He was charged at Mityana Chief Magistrate\u2019s court with two counts of a negligent act likely to spread the infection of disease and disobedience of lawful orders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, on Wednesday, the DPP withdrew the charges in her letter to Mityana chief magistrate, Moses Kule without stating any reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is to inform court that the director of public prosecutions has decided to discontinue proceedings against Hon. Francis Zaake,\u201d the letter reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The letter was copied to Mityana resident state attorney and regional criminal investigation department office. Speaking to reporters outside court, Zaake\u2019s lawyer Eron Kiiza welcomed the withdrawal of the case, saying his focus is now going to be on the criminal charges of torture that Zaake brought against the officers who arrested him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe DPP saw that there was no sense in the charges because in the first place it never existed. The most painful thing is that it\u2019s the reason he was arrested and tortured,\u201d Kiiza said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On his part, Zaake said he was disappointed with the police for breaking the very laws they are supposed to enforce. He said the fact that the DPP has withdrawn the charges against him, solidifies his private prosecution against the officers who allegedly tortured him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey arrested me for no reason but we are going to expose them for the cowards that they are. They break the laws, but they don\u2019t want to be held accountable,\u201d Zaake said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the six police officers that Zaake dragged to court over torture have objected to the jurisdiction of Mityana Magistrate\u2019s court to hear their case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The six are Bob Kagarura, the Wamala regional police commander, Hamdan Twesigye, Musa Walugembe and Willy Womanya, all attached to the police special investigations unit at Kireka, Musa Walugembe and Isaac Oketcho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their lawyer, Elias Tumwebaze told court that there is an application in Mubende High court challenging the jurisdiction of the Mityana court hence proceeding with the case would be breaking the law on sub judice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a nullity, which cannot be entertained,\u201d Tumwebaze said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the state attorney, Lydia Batiibwe, on the other hand, told court that the DPP wants to take over the case against the officers. But according to Kiiza, such a decision is suspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t believe that this decision by the DPP to take over the case is in good faith. Every time they take over any case their aim is to kill it and we think it\u2019s unfair,\u201d Kiiza said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wondered why the DPP who failed in the first place to bring up these charges of torture, unreasonable detention and disobeying lawful orders of Nakawa court to release Zaake after several days of detention would want to take over the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zaake was arrested on April 19 but was produced in court on April 29, half-naked with suspected signs of torture all over his body. He was to spend several days in Lubaga hospital receiving treatment. Police and Internal Affairs minister Obiga Kania would later say that Zaake injured himself while resisting arrest. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The director of public prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo has dropped charges against Mityana Municipality MP, Francis Zaake. The legislator was picked up from his residency in Buswabulongo in Mityana municipality on April 19, 2020, on accusations of distributing food to his constituents contrary to the Covid-19 prevention guidelines. He was charged at Mityana Chief […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8864,"featured_media":16692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[356],"tags":[31,811],"class_list":["post-16691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-big-story","tag-featured","tag-francis-zaake"],"yoast_head":"\n