KAMPALA – Court has given prosecution only one more day to produce its witnesses intended to pin the State Minister for Labor Mwesigwa Rukutana, who failed to appear for the hearing that was scheduled for Monday, April 12.
Rukutana is charged with four criminal cases of attempted murder, assault, malicious damage and threatening violence.
The hearing which was meant to start today was adjourned by Gordon Muhimbise, the Ntungamo chief Magistrate after the Prosecution side led by Richard Muhereza told the court that he was not ready with witnesses.
Muhereza asked the court that the case be adjourned for two weeks to allow him to prepare his witnesses.
Rukutana’s Lawyers led by Caleb Alaka of Alaka & Co. Advocates objected to the prayer and asked the Magistrate to dismiss the case since the prosecution had a lot of time to prepare.
Muhimbise, said that the prosecution was given enough time of five days to prosecute the case, and being the first day therefore they should be given the opportunity to produce their witnesses in the remaining days.
Muhimbise, however, overruled the prosecution’s prayer and adjourned the hearing of the case to the next day, Tuesday 13th April 2021 at 9:00 Am.
Rukutana was arrested with three of his bodyguards from his home in Kagugu in Rushenyi on the 4th of September and subsequently appeared in court on 7th September and remanded to Kitalya prisons in Wakiso.
He later on 15th September was granted Bail.
Meanwhile, there has been heavy deployment around the premises and at the entry with the security searching of everybody who wanted to access the court.