The High Court in Jinja has directed Prisons authorities to produce veteran journalist and politician, Simon Muyanga Lutaaya, who was arrested and committed to Kirinya remand prison, to court today, Friday May 4.
The court order followed efforts by the steering committee of the ‘Save Muyanga Lutaaya’ campaign, to secure a Production Warrant (PW) for him to be produced in court today at 10am.
According to the Committee Chairperson, Mr Asuman Kiyingi, lawyers representing both parties are expected in court but he appealed to Muyanga’s friends to attend the proceedings today as a way of showing support to the journalist turned politician.
“We were in High Court today in Jinja and secured a Production Warrant for Muyanga to be produced in court. It is also important that the Committee members and other well wishers attend court to show support and solidarity to Mr Muyanga,” Kiyingi said.
“After court, we checked on Mr. Muyanga in Kirinya remand prison and briefed him on what had transpired. He has developed a cough, has a chest pain and was complaining of mosquitoes which he says put his life at risk since there are no mosquito nets or repellants in the swampy Kirinya prison,” he added.
The Forum for Democratic Change supporter, Muyanga Lutaaya is accused of failing to pay court costs amounting to Shs 51 million in court awards to his opponent after losing an election petition in which he was challenging the election of Bulamogi county legislator, Kenneth Lubogo (NRM). Muyanga garnered 16,546 votes and his opponent Lubogo collected 19,179 votes.
On Wednesday, Muyanga told the Steering Committee that the unresolved differences between Hon Lubogo and his lawyer, Mr Hassan Kamba are the real cause of his arrest.
Lubogo who is abroad told this website that he cleared all Kamba’s fees and instructions in this case were withdrawn from him. He was responding to whether an audio clip which was making rounds on social media in which he disowned counsel Kamba was attributed to him.
“Kindly get information from my lawyer Kuteesa Paul of Arcadia Advocates. I am out of the country and I am in a meeting. I can’t listen now but I sent an audio to our radio stating that I fully paid off lawyer Kamba and he has no authority to demand money from Muyanga. It’s not him to do it,” MP Lubogo told SoftPower News.
However, Mr Kamba insists he is still Lubogo’s lawyer. He told Justice Luswata who wanted him to confirm on record whether he still has instructions to represent Lubogo, that there is no formal notice of change of advocates.
Justice Evelyn Luswata who issued the Production Warrant directed the lawyers of both parties to attend Friday’s court proceedings but according to counsel Asuman Nyonyintono, one of Lutaaya’s lawyers, Lubogo’s new lawyers have already indicated that after talking to their client, they will not appear in court.
However, Chairperson of ‘Save Muyanga Lutaaya’, Mr Kiyingi told this website that it will be betrayal if they (Lubogo’s lawyers) do not attend court.
“That complicates matters even further, since they are not on record as Lubogo’s lawyers. They need to appear in person. The judge will not entertain the letters indicating their absence. Unless their intention is to keep Muyanga in jail,” he said.
Kamba has equally agreed to have Muyanga released upon payment of Shs 4 million along with an undertaking for the balance to be paid within a period of 6 months.