KAMPALA – Former Security minister and spy chief Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde will have to wait for at least another week to secure bail after the hearing of his application failed to take off on Monday, March 30.
Gen Tumukunde, who is accused of illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions, appeared before the court via video conferencing from Luzira prison to listen to his bail application.
His lawyer, Alex Luganda, then submitted the application before Buganda Road Court chief magistrate, Ms Miriam Akello Ayo on Monday seeking for bail. He argued that his client was in poor health, was a responsible citizen with a family to look after and that he could not jump bail if it is granted to him.
Counsel Luganda also branded the charges against Gen Tumukunde as politically motivated.
“Your honor, allow me to bring to your notice and to this honorable court that a few days to his arrest, military guards were withdrawn and he, despite being a GENERAL, would move out and about without any form of security. And the gesture was clear; Once you decide to walk away, nothing else matters not even your personal security, regardless of your rank,” he said.
“Today he is presented to this court to answer charges of treason/ ilegal possession of fire arms. But you and I know that the only crime that my client committed was to declare that he intends to challenge the establishment in the forth coming election,” he added.
However, the court told Tumukunde’s lawyers that the trial magistrate, Valerian Tuhimbise, was not on duty to take a decision on the bail application. This was after the Chief Justice suspended court hearings to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Consequently, Tumukunde was remanded until next week when he will appear before the court again.
Gen Tumukunde faces four counts including unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful possession of ammunition.
The prosecution claims that on March 13, 2020 while at his office at Impala Avenue in Kololo, Gen Tumukunde was found in possession of two guns; an Ak47 and a pistol.
However, Gen Tumukunde denied the charges.
Tumukunde was also charged with unlawful possession of 34 rounds of ammunition without a valid firearm license.
