KAMPALA – The wife to the arrested Movit products boss, Mr Simpson Birungi, has petitioned court to order police, the Internal Security Organisation and the Attorney General to have her husband produced in court immediately or secure his freedom.
Ms Sheila Birungi Kyokusiima, through their lawyers Nyanzi, Kiboneka & Mbabazi Advocates filed an habeas corpus in the High Court Civil Division after armed forces arrested her husband on June 7 at Kibuli Police while answering a bond.
A habeas corpus application is made in court seeking a person under detention to be brought before a judge or magistrate especially to secure that person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown to justify their continued incarceration.
According to the police, Mr Birungi was arrested on Monday last week by ISO operatives who later handed him over to police and was consequently detained at Kireka Special Investigations Directorate (SID), the former Violent Crime Crack Unit over the murder of his former manager, Mr Stephen Asaba in 2010.
Asaba was murdered and his body dumped in Nakawuka in Kajjansi town council, Wakiso district.
The respondents in this case include; the director general , Internal Security Organisation (ISO), Inspector General of Police (IGP), Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Attorney General (AG).
In a sworn affidavit filed in court, Ms Birungi said the acts of the respondent authorities in continuing to illegally detain her husband are an abuse of the power and authority of the constitution.
She also asserts that she has been informed by husband’s lawyers that where he is not released, he ought to be brought to court as soon as possible and not later than forty-eight hours from the time of his or her arrest which has not been done in this case.
Ms Birungi also says that her husband’s is a citizen of Uganda with rights and freedoms hereby guaranteed under and by the constitution of Uganda.
She added that the applicant is a regional businessman and a manufacturer of Movit products in Kampala.