Lawyers under the Uganda Law Society (ULS) are today set to meet the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over the Erias Lukwago case.
On Thursday last week the lawyers marched to the DPP’s office, demanding the withdrawal of the imprisonment of treason charge against Lukwago, which they described as legally untenable and politically motivated.
Led by the society vice president Anthony Asiimwe, the lawyers, dressed in black T-shirts, walked peacefully from the society’s headquarters on Acacia Avenue in Kololo to the DPP’s offices at Workers House in Kampala.
The protest followed a June 17 petition in which the lawyers challenged the decision to charge Lukwago, a senior advocate and lead defence lawyer for opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye.
Upon arriving at the DPP’s offices, the lawyers found Director of Public Prosecutions Lino Anguzu leaving for another engagement, but he reportedly assured them that their concerns would be addressed during a meeting scheduled for today.
In the petition, ULS president Isaac Ssemakadde accused prosecutors of misusing the criminal justice system to target a lawyer performing his professional duties.
He argued that serving court documents and representing clients in court proceedings could not reasonably amount to a treason-related offence.
Lukwago was arrested on Monday by armed security operatives from his home in Wakaliga, Kampala, and held incommunicado for two days before he was arraigned in court, charged and remanded to Luzira prison.
Lukwago is part of the defence team representing Dr Besigye, Hajj Obeid Lutale and Capt Denis Oola in an ongoing treason case.
By David Walugembe
