KAMPALA–Father Jancito Kibuuka’s troubles have escalated Wednesday when Buganda Road Court issued a second set of criminal summons against him.
This is after the recently consecrated Evangelical Bishop of the Orthodox church failed to show up in court to answer charges of committing acts that injure the feelings of Catholics as ordered last week.
Instead, he was represented by his lawyers, Anthony Wameeli and Emmanuel Muwonge, who informed the presiding Grade One magistrate Charles Yeteise that the summons were on short notice since it was yesterday evening that they were served to him.
The lawyers further presented in court a withdrawal letter written to the court by DPP Mike Chibita, notifying the magistrate about the DPP’s interest in the case.
In the letter, the DPP requested court to discontinue Kibuuka’s prosecution from private lawyers of the Catholic association and Kalungu East MP Joseph Ssewungu.
The letter was rejected by magistrate Yeteise on grounds that Kibuuka’s lawyers had no authority to serve documents originating from the DPP’s office to court.
It’s then that he issued fresh summons to Kibuuka. He ordered him to appear in court without fail on December 10, 2017 for plea taking.
Kibuuka’s troubles arose from statements he allegedly made recently while appearing on a local FM radio station.
According to a complaint filed in court last week by Kalungu East MP Joseph Ssewungu and a group of lawyers from the Uganda Catholic society led by Jude Mbabali, Kibuuka is accused of uttering demeaning words against Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga and Gulu Diocese Archbishop John Baptist Odama whom he referred to as crooks.
Ssewungu claims the statements injured the feelings of several Catholics who consider Bishops Cyprian Kizito and Odama as their sacred leaders.
The outspoken Legislators also accuse Kibuuka of continuing to annoy Catholics by donning on vestments (cassocks) and celebrating mass at his Mamre International Prayer centre in Namugongo in a similar way the Roman Catholic church does yet he was ex-communicated from the said church in October 2016.
