Hearing of the bail applications for 33 suspects who are accused of treason following the Arua by-election chaos recently is currently underway in a fully packed Gulu High Court.
The judge had to order that the doors to the court room be locked to stop more people from accessing the court house.
Due to the congestion, one of the suspects yet to be identified fainted and the judge ordered that he be carried out by prison officials.
Some of the suspects facing treason charges are Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu popularly known as Bobi Wine, Arua Municipality MP-elect Kassiano Wadri, MPs Paul Mwiru and Gerald Karuhanga as well as former MP Mike Mabikke.
The bail application is being handled by Gulu resident judge Stephen Mubiru.
It could not be heard by the Chief Magistrates’ Court where the treason charges were read out to the suspects last week due to lack of jurisdiction to handle capital offenses.
The judge has so far heard only 14 applications and some of the sureties include former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Gen Mugisha Muntu, MPs Banabas Tinkasimire, Winnie Kiiza, Francis Gonahasa as well as Bobi Wine’s brother Eddy Yawe.
The court had been adjourned briefly and hearing has now resumed with presentation of more sureties by one of the defense lawyers Caleb Alaka.
Other lawyers handling this case include Erias Lukwago, Medard Lubega Sseggona, Abdul Katuntu, Asuman Basalirwa, Kenneth Paul Kakande and Nickolas Opio among others.
