Bobi Wine treason case stuck in judiciary four years later

Four years down the path, the 2018 treason case slapped on the People Power/ National Unity Platform party Principal Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert aka Bobi Wine and 32 others remains a mysterious file within the judiciary.The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (D.P.P) claims it played its part vehemently and committed the case file to the Gulu High Court for hearing where to date nothing in that regard has taken place.

The group including Bobi Wine was sent to Gulu High Court to stand trial over several charges arising from alleged pelting of President Museveni’s motorcade with stones following the Arua Municipality by-election fracas on August 6, 2018.

These suspects are accused of treason, failure to prevent obstruction of traffic flow, confusion or disorder during a public meeting contrary to Section 10, 1(c ), (f), (3) and (4) of the Public Order Management Act as well as failure to give right of way contrary to Section 176(2) of the Traffic and Road Safety Act.

Bobi Wine, and 32 others are among other cases charged with denial of right of way to president Yoweri Museveni during the August 2018 Arua by-election final campaigns, and also the alleged damage of the presidential motorcade after one of the vehicles on the fleet of Gen. Museveni was damaged.

Bobi Wine, Mityana municipality MP Hon Zaake Francis, Kassiano Wadri, and other People Power supporters were violently arrested on August 13, 2018 and charged with treason among others. Their case has however flopped 4 years later after their bail was approved.

Speaking to media last year, Ms Jacquelyn Okui, the spokesperson of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, said they played their part when they sent the group to the High Court.

“When we commit accused persons to the High Court for trial, it is an indication that we are ready to prosecute the matter. Committal is usually done when investigations are complete,” Ms Okui said in March last year.

Judicial spokesperson Jameson Karemani however attributes the snail paced trial of the Arua 33 to shortage of manpower as he says the judiciary is incapacitated and short of judges to expedite the case.