MP Zaake Charged with Treason, Unlawful Escape from Police Custody

Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake has been charged with treason and unlawful escape from Police custody.

Zaake who was intercepted last week on Thursday at Entebbe Airport on his way to India for medical treatment has been given one month bond.

“Zaake has been bonded for a month to allow him travel for medical treatment,” said rights lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo in a tweet on Monday afternoon.

The bond document a copy of which this website had obtained says, the suspect declined to sign agaist the charge sheet (for both charges) in the presence of his lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo.

The legislator is expected to report to the CID headquarters in Kibuli on October 3 this year for further questioning on the charges. His sureties included Mukono South MP, Johnson Muyanja and Mityana district Chairperson, Luzige Joseph.

Zaake now joins a list of 34 other suspects including four MPs (Bobi Wine, Gerald Karuhanga, Paul Mwiru and Kassiano Wadri) who are facing charges of treason.

All suspects were arrested following the chaos that broke out on August 13, the last day of campaigning in the Arua municipality by-election, and have since been released on bail.

The State accuses them of pelting stones at the motorcade of President Yoweri Museveni who was in Arua on the same day, with an intent to harm the person of the President.

Zaake has been hospitalized for over two weeks and accuses security personnel who arrested him of torturing him.

He was meant to travel to India for medical treatment last week but Police blocked him at Entebbe airport insisting that he gets clearance from the CID headquarters.

The other condition was that he undergoes medical screening by medics in a government health facility so as to ascertain the magnitude of his problem.

The Police spokesperson, SSP Emilian Kayima told the press on August 20 that Zaake was aided to escape while in custody in Arua, only to hear days later that he was admitted at Lubaga hospital in Kampala.

“He had wanted to see a doctor. He said he had a medical condition, so, he was taken to Arua to the hospital. Either he escaped or he was aided to escape and he surfaced in Lubaga hospital,” Kayima said.