Treason case: Bobi Wine, 32 others return to court

Gulu. Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, and 32 others are expected to appear before the Gulu Magistrate’s Court today where they are facing treason charges.
The state contends that the accused, who also include MPs Kassiano Wadri (Arua Municipality), Gerard Karuhanga (Ntungamo Municipality) and Paul Mwiru (Jinja East), and others still at large threw stones at one of President Museveni’s car, smashing its hind windscreen on August 13 during the Arua Municipality by-election campaigns.
The group is expected to appear before Magistrate Isaac Imoran Kintu for mention of their case. Magistrate Yunus Ndiwalana, who was handling their case, was transferred to Iganga District in October.
Mr Henry Komakech Kilama, one of the defence lawyers, told Daily Monitor in an interview at the weekend that the magistrate is expected to read out the names of the accused persons to determine whether or not they are present before court is adjourned.
He also noted that they expect the State to brief court on progress of their investigation while the police are to give explanation on the whereabouts of some of the properties confiscated from their clients on August 13.
Mr Kilama says among some of the confiscated properties include cars belonging to Bobi Wine and Mr Wadri, laptops, phones and wallets containing cash. In October, Mr Asuman Basalirwa, another defence lawyer, told the court that some of his clients’ properties, especially phones kept by police in Arua, were being used by soldiers of the Special Forces Command, a force that guards the President, to track and defraud unsuspecting people. He also asked court to order for the release of the cars belonging to Bobi Wine and Mr Wadri.
Magistrate Ndiwalana ordered CID officials from Gulu and Arua districts to present before court the aforementioned exhibits when the accused persons appear today.