Minister Rukutana returned to jail
The Chief Magistrates Court in Ntungamo has further remanded State Minister for Labour, Mwesigwa Rukutana to Kakiika Prison in Mbarara District over attempted murder charges.
Rukutana, who is also the Rushenyi County MP was on Monday afternoon arraigned before the Ntungamo grade one magistrate and several charges including attempted murder were read to him.
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However, because the grade one magistrate had no jurisdiction over the attempted murder charge, he never pleaded to it and on Tuesday, he appeared before the Chief Magistrate and denied the charges.
The minister through his lawyers led by Owen Murangira later applied for bail arguing that it is his constitutional right whereas he has a fixed place of abode in the court’s jurisdiction.
The lawyers presented former Minister, Jim Muhwezi, businessman Bob Kabonero and MP Michael Mawanda as sureties for Rukutana.
However, in response to the bail application, the state prosecutors including Robert Arinaitwe and Eunice Mbine objected to Rukutana's bail application saying the Rushenyi county legislator is charged with grave offences that carry a severe punishment of life imprisonment once a person is convicted.
The prosecutors told court that if released on bail, the minister would interfere with ongoing investigations into the matter.
The trial Chief Magistrate, Sarah Mponye adjourned the matter to September,15, 2020 and further remanded Rukutana until then when the court will rule on his bail application.
Charges
On Monday, he arraigned before the grade one magistrate’s court in Ntungamo but none of his bodyguards was brought to court, neither has anything been said of them.
“Mwesigwa Rukutana and others still at large on September 5, 2020 at Kagugu village in Ntungamo district unlawfully attempted to cause the death of Daniel Rweburingi contrary to section 204(a) of the Penal Code Act,” the magistrate read the charges.
He was also charged with assault and causing bodily harm onto one of his victims, threatening violence and malicious damage.
Rukutana’s charges stem from a Saturday shooting incident in Ruhama, Ntungamo district in which one person was seriously injured and a motor vehicle damaged.
