The High Court in Mukono has heard an application in which Mathew Kirabo, the prime suspect in the 2015 murder of Makerere University student Desire Mirembe , is seeking return of his passport.
Kirabo is the main suspect in the murder of Mirembe but the case has not been heard for six years. Court maintains that it does not have money to hear the case.
Kirabo’s application was heard by the registrar of Mukono High Court on Tuesday since the main judge is away on sick leave.
In his application, Kirabo, through his lawyer Isaac Kato, asked court to return his passport held by court before he was granted bail, so he can travel to the United States for further studies.
When quizzed where his client was, lawyer Kato assured court that his client could not make it to court.
On hearing this, NBS TV reporter Daniel Lutaaya switched on a secret camera and headed out of the court room.
This was after receiving a tip off that Kirabo could be hiding in a black Harrier SUV.
Just as it was suspected, Kirabo was found in the car, asleep.
After a while, the lawyer returned from the court room and sat in the same vehicle before speeding off.
Elizabeth Wambutu, an aunt to the deceased Mirembe, said that they would also want their daughter to fly out of the country but she was killed and want court to give them justice.
Denis Nyombi, the late Mirembe’s family lawyer said that justice has been delayed and they want court to fix a date for hearing of the main case.
“The applicant was granted bail in 2016, if we can have a date fixed for such an application, why not fix date for hearing of the main case?” Nyombi asked.
The father of the deceased, Emmanuel Musoke also expressed his dismay at how court has handled this case.
“He finished his degree in Makerere, my daughter was murdered in 2015, the case has never been heard and now he wants to fly out of the country. I went to the principal judge about four times and they are telling me that there is no money,” Musoke said.
Frank Gashumba, an uncle to deceased said that several cases have been heard and this case too needs to be heard.
Six years since Desire Mirembe was killed, court has only sat to grant the suspect bail which has enabled him to complete his Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and he is now working at Mulago Hospital.
Wheras court has sat again to hear an application where the suspect seeks to go abroad, court maintains it has no money to hear the main case.
Mirembe’s body was recovered from a sugarcane plantation in Lugazi, Buikwe District, on July 7, 2015. Her suspected killer, Kirabo, reportedly confessed to the gruesome act.
The suspect, Kirabo was charged at Jinja Chief Magistrates Court with murder and he was remanded. He was later granted bail on November 24, 2016.
The case was later moved to Mukono on the instructions of then Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine after the state complained that the crime had been committed in the Mukono jurisdiction.
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