The Director of Public prosecutions on Thursday told the Internatonal Crimes Division of the High court that the Buhikira palace in Nyakabugo – Kasese district is still treated as a crime scene and therefore the Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere should not be allowed to go back as he seeks.
The DPP raised this ground while objecting to an application in which Mumbere is seeking orders to relax his bail terms.
The Senior State Attorney Ms Marion BenBella presented the affidavit of the detective superintendent of police attached to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Johnson Monday opposing the King’s application. `
Mr Monday stated that the inquires in the cases the King is facing were completed and was committed to the International Crimes Division of the High Court on the June 22, 2017 and the respondent (state) is ready and awaits the court registry to fix a hearing date.
“The applicant is the King of the Rwenzururu Kingdom which is located in the prohibited districts. He still wields considerable influence over his subjects most of whom are witnesses and once his bail condition is reviewed before trial, there are high chances of him interfering with prosecution witnesses,” Mr Monday stated.
He added: “I got intelligence information which I verily believe that some of the applicant’s subjects who had fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have returned, re-organised, trained and are ready to attack and defend their king.”
The state also denied attacking the King’s palace saying that he (Mumbere) had recruited an illegal private army Known as the royal guards who had committed several atrocities and had resisted arrest thus the army only responded to an armed rebellion led by the applicant.
In response to King Mumbere’s worries that his security is commanded by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence instead of the army royal guards and police, state said that the king is a recognized cultural leader under the institution of the Cultural Leaders Act 2011 and entitled to security which remains its obligation.
“The applicant’s security detail is determined by the prevailing intelligence lead objective threat and risk assessment which I am privy to and not according to his wish to disband, refuse, obstruct or review that bail condition,” he further stated.
Through his lawyer Mr Samuel Muyizzi, King Mumbere alleges that since his release, the state turned it into house arrest, adding that to seek medical attention he has to be cleared by security agencies.
The King states that he has been denied direct access to any person apart from his immediate family, the queen and his children have been denied visitation rights from the other family members and friends.
Justice Margaret Oumo Oguli adjourned the matter to September 24 for King Mumbere’s lawyers to respond to the state.
