ICC has barred the media and general public from attending proceedings Muslim clerics case proceedings
The International Crimes Division Court has barred the media and members of the general public from attending proceedings in the caseΒ where 14 peopleΒ are accused of plotting the murder of Muslim clerics across the country.
This after lead judge Ezekiel Muhanguzi grantedΒ Β prosecution’sΒ request to have its 4Β next witnesses testify in camera as a measure ofΒ their protection.
On Monday this week, state attorney Lino Anguzu informed court that the 4 witnesses refused to giveΒ testimonyΒ in open courtΒ for fear of their lives due to numerous threats directed to them .
It’s against this background that justice Muhanguzi ordered the press and the GeneralΒ public who follow the proceedings through a visual-audio link in the courtroom next door to keep away from courtΒ starting tomorrow until the 4 witnesses conclude their testimonies.
The court also orderedΒ that the 4 mentioned witnesses be referred to by pseduo alphabetical names other than their original names.
The testimony of these 4 witneses will now bring the number of prosecution witnesses who have sofar testified in this caseΒ toΒ 31.
Prosecution States that the 14 accused including the leader of the tabliq section in the country Shiekh Yunus Kamoga and his brother Shiekh Multabah Bukenya unlawfully and with malice afore thought gunned down fellow shiekhs; Mustafa Bahiga and Hassan IbrahimΒ Kirya between 2014 and 2015 respectively.
They also face charges of terrorism and attempted murder of shiekh Haruna Jjemba.
