Mubende land case: Lawyer Eron Kiiza ‘quizzed’ for defaming Justice Murangira on facebook
The Criminal Investigations Division of the Police force has questioned human rights lawyer, Eron Kiiza over alleged defamatory statements against Mubende resident Justice Murangira.
In a matter presided over by Justice Murangira , Kiiza is representing a group of more than 3000 people who are protesting against their eviction from five villages including Kambuye, Kyabaana, Kikoono, Lwensanga and Kanseera in Mubende District by one George Kaweesi from a piece of land measuring 322.5 hectares with the help of police personnel.
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On Monday, the lawyer appeared before the media crimes department and was questioned about comments he made on social media about the land matter in Mubende.
“Justice Murangira filed a complaint with CID that counsel Eron(Kiiza) made defamatory statements against him.
The police asked him to write a statement,”Kiiza’s lawyers led by Nicholas Opiyo told journalists.
Petitioning Katureebe
The lawyers told journalists that Justice Murangira’s complaint to police was that lawyer Kiiza had petitioned the Chief Justice Bart Katureebe and the Judicial Service Commission in regards the judge’s behavior in presiding over land matters.
On July 3, 2019, a group of over 3000 evictees from Mubende petitioned the Chief Justice through their lawyer, Eron Kiiza accusing justice Muranigra of siding with their tormentors to keep them in prison so they cannot follow up on the matter.
“On Tuesday, July 2, 2019, Justice Murangira adopted a strange procedure that compels the applicants to file submissions before the completion of pleadings and before conferencing,” reads in part the complaint to the Chief Justice.
“In light of the contents of the aforesaid complaints, our clients believe that no justice can ensue for as long as Justice Murangira is the presiding judge in the above-captioned application.”
Kiiza then asked the Chief Justice to re-allocate the matter to another “impartial” judge and direct Murangira not to proceed with the matter in any event or transfer the hearing of the matter to the High Court in Kampala.
According to Nicholas Opiyo that Kiiza was asked about the letters he wrote to the Judicial Service Commission and the Chief Justice.
“We are going to write statements in response to the accusations but we insist there is no name to protect for Justice Murangira. The statements he is complaining of are in the public domain and there is nothing he is hiding,”Opiyo said.
Kiiza still firm
Earlier, lawyer Eron Kiiza had told journalists that no amount of intimidation would derail him off the track of fighting for human rights.
“There is nothing that would make me fear. The only thing I would fear is abandoning the fight for human rights. The moment this case is done, I will continue from where I stopped,”Kiiza told journalists.
https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/07/08/justice-murangira-cited-in-land-scandal-involving-eviction-of-3000-people-asked-to-defend-self/
