reported by
Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. The president of National Unity Platform party Robert Kyagulanyi Sssentamu alias Bobi Wine, expresses concern over decision by Supreme Court to reject filling of extra evidence in the presidential petition he filled in the victory of president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
This follows the ruling by the Supreme Court in which they rejected an amendment by his legal team to amend the petition with the view of submitting more evidence beyond what was captured in the original affidavits.
What triggered Bobi to petition?
Former presidential candidate Bobi Wine on the 1st Febuary 2021 through his lawyers led by Medard Lubega Ssegona, petitioned the Supreme Court contesting the electoral commission’s results which declared Museveni as a winner by 58.64 percent and Kyagulanyi with 34.85 percent, which he rejected saying that the results were fake.
Bobi Wine’s legal team raised 26 ground against Museveni saying that they have proof of ballot stuffing, violence and malpractices that took place during the 14 January 2021 elections.
Bobi’s lawyers asked court to base on those grounds and nullify the election and order for a fresh one without Museveni participating in it.
Why Bobi think that the court is unfair to him ?
On Monday 15 February 2021 Bobi’s legal team was denied to file 40 more evidences reason being that the time in which they were supposed to present their evidence was over.
According to the programme, the petitioner had 2nd February to 14th February to file all affidavits and to serve the respondents.
While addressing journalists at his party headquarter’s at Kamwokya, Kyagulanyi also complained about the duration of 30 minutes within he is supposed to present his evidence in court saying that the court was being unfair to him.
“ We think that the Supreme Court is in conspiracy, in the previous petition of Amama Mbabazi verses Museveni the submissions went all way into whole week, lawyers would submit orally, verbally and the nation, the population, the world was able to follow, but because the Supreme Court knows in my opinion that they would be put to shame that this case will expose them to the last, the Supreme Court decided to reduce the hearing to only 30 minutes that is an effort to keep the nation, the population and the entire world in the dark about this case and we reject that also.” Bobie said.
Is the court really trying to keep people in the dark by reducing the hearing time?
The Judiciary spokesman Jameson Karemani while speaking to our AFP reporter, he explained that the 30 minutes duration which was given was to save time.
He added that the submissions were given is two fonts, one is a written submissions which means that each party in the case will sit home with their teams and write down whatever they want the court to know.
“What you would have spent 3 days talking to the court, you write it down, and come and file it. They gave them 30 minutes each for purposes of winding up or summarising what you have submitted.” said Karemani.
If all goes as planned by the court, the judgement will be delivered on the 18th March 2021.
