The former leader of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Jamil Mukulu, has withdrawn the bail application he had filed before the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kampala.
Mukulu who is jointly charged with 34 others for several grave including treason, murder, aggravated robbery, terrorism and crimes against humanity recently applied for bail arguing that he has been on remand for so long and sought temporary release.
However, on Thursday, in an unprecedented twist of events, the former ADF leader who was appearing via video link from Luzira withdrew the bail application.
His lawyers including Anthony Wameli and Geoffrey Turyamusiima later said their client had asked them to withdraw the application.
“He instructed us that since it is the same judge in the matter whom he had asked to recuse herself, we withdraw the application,” Wameli told journalists.
The court accepted the withdraw but asked the deputy registrar to fix the main curse for hearing.
The lawyers also noted that Mukulu had sought for permission and been allowed to speak to his mother.
“He talked to his mother and apologized to her before asking us to tell his mother and sisters to register with National Unity Party,”Wameli noted.
The developments comes on the heels of a request by the former ADF leader to Justice Suzan Okalany to quit hearing his bail application.
“I am not satisfied with you handling my case because you are anti-muslim. Some time you claimed that Muslims wanted to kill you. You cannot be fair to me. I need another judge to handle my application. If you are the one handling my bail application, I would rather drop it,”Mukulu said last month.
Charges
According to evidence provided by the Director of Public Prosecutions against the group, Jamilu Mukulu is presented as the leader of Allied Democratic Forces and Salaf Muslim community in Uganda who would give orders to his 34 co-suspects to carry out raids and commit murders to other Muslim communities with whom they had disagreements in ideologies on which direction to face while carrying out prayers.
The evidence also indicates that some Muslims were praying facing the Northern direction towards the Kibra while others would pray facing the south and that it is this religious conflict opportunity that Mukulu’s ADF which is based in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and DRC explored to make recruits, training and acquire guns and finances to advance its political ideologies.
Among the prominent murders Mukulu and his group are accused of carrying out are that of two sheikhs including Daktur Muwaya and Yunus Abubakar Mandanga in Mayuge and Bugiri districts respectively and the murder of 2 police officers Muzamir Babale and Karim Tenywa from Bugiri police station .
The group is also said to have robbed guns, ammunition, a gold weighing machine, millions of money and attempting to take away the lives of many people.
Prosecution also contends that Mukulu his group committed these offenses in various districts including Kampala, Wakiso, Mayuge , Budaka and Mbale among others and that the indiscriminate attacks instilled fear in the public to influence it for either social, political, economic or religious aims.
Prosecution intends to rely on several exhibits including explosives, literature related to activities of ADF, car number plates, confession statements of some of the suspects which will be availed during trial.
Mukulu, was arrested in 2015 in Tanzania before being extradited back to Uganda.
https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/07/16/jamil-mukulu-wants-judge-to-step-down-from-bail-case/