On Wednesday, High Court Judge Emmanuel Baguma blocked veteran politician Col Dr. Kizza Besigye from raising his concerns before the court leading to a standoff between the judge and Besigye.
Dr. Kizza Besigye who had been brought together with his aide Hajj Obeid Lutale to take plea over charges of treason and misprision of treason, attempted to raise a concern before the court, even putting off his legal representation until he submitted his concern but was blocked by Justice Baguma from doing so.
“I wish to raise a matter of concern before we proceed with this business….. I put off my representation until I finish my submission” Dr Besigye said.
Dr Besigye added, “My Lord, I will be brief….. This is about our presence here. My lord, to give it a background. I would like to inform this court that… My lord,”
To which Justice Baguma denied him and ordered him to raise his concern through his lawyers before remanding him back to Luzira Prison until the 8th of this month.
Justice Baguma retorted, “I have listened to you and I am saying that your counsel, Martha Senior, has introduced a team of ten lawyers as your legal representative and until they put it in writing that they are no longer representing you, court cannot try nor listen to your concern” Baguma said.
Judge Baguma added, “So I am directing that the team of lawyers, ten, as introduced by Massa, through consultation with you, let them get all their concerns from you and they address court on your concerns”.
Justice Baguma “So, Colonel, Doctor, raise all your concerns, all the issues. Put them together in writing for the court to understand and trust properly all the concerns. And I am giving you time from today to Friday to file your concerns and then you come back here on 8th when am responding to those concerns that you have put in writing”.
However Justice Baguma’s ruling was contested by Dr Besigye’s lawyers led by Martha Karua who argued that there is no law preventing an accused person from raising their concerns in person.
Karua noted that their clients were brought to court and the prosecution intended for them to take plea, but when Besigye tried to raise a concern in court, he was denied the opportunity.
She further noted that while the legal team is unaware of his specific concerns, Besigye will address them personally.
Judge Baguma – Rtd Col Dr Besigye Conflict
The bad blood between Justice Baguma and Dr kizza besigye began when the latter accused the judge of bias during their bail application hearings which recently led to Besigye and Lutale recently declining to appear before court over Judge Baguma’s ‘bias’.
During a hearing early last month, defence Lawyer Erias Lukwago informed court that the duo would not appear in Baguma’s court who had already ruled that they should not waste time on applying for bail but rather concentrate on the main case.
Lukwago further noted that the duo’s treason case was wrongly put before Justice Baguma, since the same case is supposed to be heard before the International Crimes Division court, where the Besigye and Lutale were committed to by the Nakawa court.
The imprisoned treason suspects through their lawyers in August requested Justice Baguma to withdraw from the case hearing after Besigye’s defence team of Lukwago & Co. Advocates raised serious concerns over procedural delays and alleged bias from the judge towards their clients in handling the case.
