KAMPALA – Pastor Augustine Yiga will have to spend another 10 days at least after Prisons failed to present him before Mwanga II Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The controversial pastor was charged and remanded last week following allegations that he utters words intended to undermine the government efforts to fight coronavirus.
He was expected back in court on Monday for his bail application but the Prisons did not present him to the chagrin of his lawyer, Wilberforce Kayiwa.
Kayiwa wondered why the Prisons did not use video conferencing system to enable his client get Justice.
Grade one Magistrate Timothy Lumunye then ordered the Prisons team to produce Yiga before court on April 16 without fail.
The spokesperson of the Uganda Prisons Services, Frank Baine said that Prisons will not bring any accused person to court unless they are sure that the person is not returning to their custody for fear of contracting coronavirus and later spread it on to their colleagues.
Last month, the Chief Justice Bart Katureebe suspended court sessions. He, however, said that cases involving suspects in jail can be heard via video conferencing.
Prosecution alleges that on March 27th 2020 while at his church Revival Christian in Kawaala in Kampala and before several Television stations, Yiga uttered words to mean that there is no coronavirus in Uganda and Africa at large well knowing that such words are likely to spread the infection of the disease which is dangerous to life.
But he pleaded not guilty and asked the court to grant him bail on grounds that it was his constitutional right for bail adding that he was diabetic.
