The State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations our, Mwesigwa Rukutana has been granted Shs. 4 million bail and will immediately be released from Prison.
Rukutana who was arrested for election related violence during the NRM primaries in Ntungamo has been at Kitalya Prison since September 7, 2020, having been charged with attempted murder, assault, malicious damage, and threatening violence in the heat of the and NRM Primaries in Rushenyi, Ntungamo District.
Rukutana’s lawyers who were led by Owen Murangira applied for his bail and on Tuesday, Ntungamo Magistrates Court granted the request.
His sureties included Jim Muhwezi, Robert Kabonero, Michael Mawanda, and Haji Ali Mutebi. Rukutana was also asked to deposit his passport with the court.
Rukutana appeared before the chief magistrate, via a Zoom videoconference from Kitalya prison.
In the application, the lawyers argued that Rukutana had a right to bail since the offences are bailable. The lawyers also argued that Rukutana had a permanent place of abode in Ntungamo district which is under the jurisdiction of the Magistrates court.
However, the prosecution led by Eunice Baine had objected to the bail application on grounds that the offence was grave and the accused may interfere with the investigations and witnesses because he is a minister and the investigations were still going on.
Kolya, however, overruled the prosecution and granted bail to Rukutana. She adjourned the case to November 3 when the case will up for mention. However, Rukutana’s co-accused who are also his bodyguards are still in detention. They are Egec Paul, Kozala Faizal and Okello John Bosco.
Last week during the swearing-in of the new chief justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, President Museveni affirmed his stand against granting bail to suspects of capital offences, such as murder, rape, defilement and assault, saying it makes people lose interest in the judicial system.
