KAMPALA – After spending five years in jail without trial, the International Crimes Division of the High Court has today November 27 set free a group of nine men who had been suspected of rendering financial support to a rebel group- ADF.
This is after the Director of Public Prosecutions Mike Chibita wrote a withdrawal letter dated November 26 informing the presiding judge Jane Kiggundu that the state wishes to discontinue proceedings against the nine suspects.
The letter has been presented to court by the state attorney Ms Jackline Okwii, who did not give reasons to why the DPP was discontinuing.
The suspects including; Abdulah Kisembo, Hamis Mugoya, Hamza Lyavaala, Hamis Takubya, Hussein Ndugwa, Faiso Wata, Hamza Egiyoti and Adam Dini Lubowa were arrested on June 17, 2014 by the DRC boarder security on charges of crossing the border illegally, belonging to a rebel group ADF and Financing terrorism activities.
Prosecution had stated that eight of these suspects who were all gold miners in Mubende were enticed into ADF by Abdullah Kisembo who used to buy gold from them.
According to the court documents Kisembo and Lubowa are former ADF rebels who were granted Amnesty in 2003 but defected and organised the other seven suspects into groups for easy transportation to Congo and Mombasa for training on top of sending 25000 Us dollars through Kenya commercial bank to facilitate various activities.
That the group was however intercepted by the Congo security and brought back to Uganda for trial.
The eight men have re-united with their families except Luwooza who is still facing charges related to crimes against humanity, Murder terrorism among others together with the commander of ADF Jamil Mukulu and 36 others.
Their lawyers led by Geoffrey Turyanusiima said they would explore civil remedies for malicious prosecution of their clients.
