Court of Appeal Dismisses Sheikh Kamoga Bail
The Court of Appeal rejected a bail application filed by Sheikh Muhammed Yunus Kamoga.
Sheikh Kamoga is serving a life jail sentence for terrorism which was handed to him by the International Crimes Division of the High Court last year.
In his ruling, Hon. Justice Christopher Madrama said Kamoga does not enjoy the presumption of innocence having been convicted of a capital offence.
The said Court dismissed the bail application of another Muslim cleric; Sheikh Siraje Kawooya.
The Hon. Justice further explained that since Sheikh Kamoga was committed to serve the second most severe punishment after death, chances are high that he may skip court once granted bail.
Court also dismissed Sheikh Kamoga's other grounds he advanced for bail such as old age of 66, his need of special palliative care for hypertension, ulcers and obesity which he claimed could expose him to cardiac complications if left in prison.
However, Hon. Justice Madrama ruled that Kamoga did not prove to court's satisfaction that the medical facility at Luzira prison failed to handle his medical condition.
Sheikh Kamoga had also argued that his appeal challenging both his conviction and sentence has high chances of success since none of the prosecution witnesses placed him at the scenes of murder of the two sheikhs; Mustapha Bahiga and Hassan Kirya and therefore its fair and just to temporarily release him from prison.
Hon. Justice Madrama was not persuaded by this reasoning and instead ordered that the Sheikh's appeal be expeditiously fixed for hearing other than releasing them on bail.
Sheikh Kamoga and seven other sheikhs were last year found guilty of committing terrorism acts by the International Crimes Division court.
Some of the convicts were sent to jail for 30 years while others were to spend the remainder of their lives in prison. These are sentences that the sheikhs have since challenged in the Court of Appeal.
Posted 18th, May 2018
