Court issues criminal summons against MPs Karuhanga, Mwiru over Arua case

The Gulu Magistrate’s court has issued criminal summons against Members of Parliament Gerald Karuhanga and Paul Mwiru as well as two other fellow accused after they failed to turn up for the mention of the case today. Others who face arrest are Shaban Atiku and Gamba Tumusiime .

The MPs are part of the treason case in which 33 people are accused of throwing stones at President Museveni’s convoy in Arua in August.

On Monday when the case came up for mention, the MPs did not turn up prompting the Gulu grade one magistrate, Isaac Kintu to issue criminal summons against them.

Earlier, the state prosecutor, Paul Wekonde had asked court for an adjournment since investigations into the matter have not been concluded.

The defence team led by Komakech Kitala  implored court to issue summons to the officers in charge of Criminal Investigation Department for both Arua and Gulu in regard to the mishandling of phones confiscated as exhibits belonging to the accused persons.

The lawyers said the phones are being used to call relatives of the accused asking them for money.

The magistrate adjourned the case to January 10, 2019 for further mentioning.

A group of 34 people including Kassiano Wadri , Robert Kyagulanyi also known as Bobi Wine, Gerald Karuhanga and Paul Mwiru  among others are accused of treason for throwing stones at President Museveni’s convoy in Arua during campaigns for the municipality by-elections.

Prosecution alleges that on August 13, 2018, with an intent to harm the president of Uganda, the group together with others still at large threw stones and smashed the windscreen of one of his vehicles.