By Mulengera Reporters
Norbert Mao has made it clear that there is no way he can direct the trial judge Emmanuel Baguma on what to do or not to do regarding the conduct of Dr. Kizza Besigye’s treason trial. Mao said not even the chief justice can intervene in anyway. See full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaLwUWFNtfg&t=1096s.
Saying there will always be the appeal option in case the accused person is dissatisfied with Baguma’s ruling, Mao proposed that speedy trial was one remedy KB’s supporters should be demanding for.
Mao also partly blamed the delay on Besigye’s lawyers who he said had opted for political posturing and Tik Tok content creation instead of prioritizing and pursuing serious remedies for their client. He said it was regrettable the accused persons had taken over 20 months on remand.
He demanded that bail-related rights become respected especially where an accused person has served out the mandatory remand period of 18 months.
Referring to the ease with which Miria Matembe and Timothy Kalyegira were recently released on bail, Mao said that no judicial officer should be celebrated as being very courageous and rare pedigree for merely granting bail because its a basic thing which all accused persons should be able to enjoy regularly because they remain innocent until they admit or are proved guilty.
THE MANDELA ROUTE:
Mao added that in case Dr. Besigye totally has no faith in the court system, he is free to explore the political option of going ahead to discredit the entire trial as political and sham exactly like Nelson Mandela did during the Livonia trials of his own treason case during the anti-Apartheid struggle.
During that Livonia trials, which resulted into his own conviction and 27-year jail at Robben Islands, Mandela denounced even the judge who was trying him branding him part of the repressive system he was fighting so hard to bring to an end.
Mao said that should that become the option he chooses; Dr. KB should be prepared to face the full consequences exactly like Nelson Mandela did. He said the opposition doyen should be prepared for both the political benefits and the personal cost that comes with choosing such an option. He said the decision remains Dr. KB’s to make.
Amplifying Gen Museveni’s last weekend talking points when he implied that it was up to Dr. KB to prove his innocence, Mao said that Ugandans will be shocked the day they will learn of the full details of the treason case the state has assembled. He said this is why whoever wishes well for Dr. KB should be demanding for speedy trial so that the court gets the chance to publicly inquire into the entire case.
Mao also disagreed with those condemning Gen Museveni making it clear that there was nothing wrong with what he said during his last weekend televised address whose contents the ULS construed as directing the judge on which finding to make at the conclusion of the impending treason trial.
ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde called it direct interference with the judiciary independence by the President. He also called on the CJ and other judiciary leaders to grow some balls and condemn the President. Mao implied that the same will never happen because, in his view, even the CJ doesn’t see anything wrong with Museveni calling for a speedy trial.
