Court orders unconditional release of Besigye aide
SOURCE: THE DAILY MONITOR, 12 OCTOBER 2012
Buganda Road Court on Thursday ordered Kampala Metropolitan police Commander Andrew Felix Kaweesi to unconditionally release an aide to the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President Dr Kizza Besigye, Mr Moses Tumukunde, who it says is under illegal police detention.
The order, by Chief Magistrate Ms Mary Eleanor Khainza, was issued after Mr Tumukunde’s lawyer, Mr Laudislaus Rwakafuuzi, successfully submitted that his client has been detained by police past the recommended 48 constitutional hours without being formally produced in court and charged.
“I’m of the view that if the suspect has been in detention for more than 48 hours, then his continued stay is a violation of his constitutional rights,” read the court order.
“It’s hereby ordered the suspect be unconditionally released from police custody,” the order, issued by Ms Khainza, says.
“It’s hereby ordered the suspect be unconditionally released from police custody,” the order, issued by Ms Khainza, says.
Mr Tumukunde was arrested last Thursday at Mini Price in downtown Kampala as he drove Dr Besigye, who had beaten the 24 hour security surveillance at his Kasangati home in Wakiso district.
This was the second time in three days that the FDC leader had beaten a tight security cordon around his residence. On that occasion, he said he was in town for the launch of the ‘Walk to Freedom’ protests organized by opposition activists to celebrate the country’s 50th independence anniversary.
However, police deployed heavily at the homes of renowned opposition activists to stop them from accessing the city center because they would apparently incite people, which would then disrupt independence preparations.
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