The Uganda Law society (ULS) has spoken out against what it has termed as a “rushed trial” of the Ggaba Day-Care centre murder suspect Christopher Okello Onyum saying it tantamounts to institutional mob justice by the police, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the judiciary.
As directed by President Museveni earlier that the case be handled expeditiously using the newly introduced mobile court system, the suspect, identified as Christopher Okello will appear before the court in Ggaba.
On Saturday, the Judiciary announced it had finalized preparations to have the first-ever Mobile High Court session in Kampala, scheduled for tomorrow in Ggaba, Makindye Division.
The session will handle the case of Okello, the prime suspect in the Ggaba toddler killings, who was committed to the High Court to stand trial on four counts of murder.
Speaking to journalists via zoom this afternoon, the law society president Isaac Ssemakadde claimed that Okello was never subjected to expert psychiatric examination as required to ascertain his mental capacity to stand trial.
However, the police had earlier revealed that the suspect was subjected to a psychiatric examination before being committed to the high court for trial
He further expressed unfairness to refer the suspect to the crime scene where there are still fresh open wounds of parents and the Ggaba community members since some of the victims have just been buried.
“The concept of mobile court is not an innovation of the judiciary. It is actually something that was requested for by court users in specific zones and circumstances. But now we see that its first use is as a political weapon to appease the establishment and not to do justice to those for whom it was intended”, Mr. Ssemakade said.
On April 2nd, Okello reportedly posed as a parent seeking to enrol a child at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, but after exiting the administration office, he instead launched the gruesome attack on the toddlers who were playing outside.
Last week, Okello was produced before Makindye Magistrates Court and charged with four counts of murder. He was later committed to the high court for trial.
