Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament Francis Zaake has been granted bail by Gulu High Court.
The legislator and 35 others (co-accused) is expected to appear before the same court on 14 March, 2019 for further mention of the case.
Zaake was arrested on February 21st in Kampala and driven to Arua where he appeared before the Arua chief Magistrates Court.
The legislator today [Monday] appeared before the Gulu Judge Stephen Mubiru who ordered for his release on a non-cash bail of Shs5 million after his lawyer Henry Komakech Kilama argued that it was the MP’s constitutional right to get bail as enshrined in Article 23 (6) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
Mr Zaake’s sureties included his wife Bridget Namirembe, his brother Daniel Mugambwa and Muhamad Muwanga Kivumbi, the Member of Parliament for Butambala County.
Present at the hearing of his bail application were fellow MPs Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Paul Mwiru and Allan Ssewanyana among others.
In December last year, Zaake was quizzed by police over alleged treason and escape from lawful custody at Arua Central Police Station on August 13. Zaake had been detained following chaos on the last day of Arua Municipality MP by-elections eventually won by Kasiano Wadri.
The youthful MP is among the 35 people currently facing treason charges in Gulu Magistrates Court.
Unlike his co-accused, Zaake had never been to court to respond to charges due to his medical condition at the time.
Prior to leaving the country to get medical treatment abroad in September, 2018, he was formally charged with two counts and granted bail.
He was supposed to appear before the CID on October 5, 2018 but at that time, the lawmaker was still in India for treatment.
