Kazinda again turns heat on gov’t over continued detention

Jailed former principal accountant in the office of Prime Minister Geoffrey Kazinda has again sued the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Attorney General, and the Inspector General of Government (IGG) for refusing to acquit him of the charges despite an order by the Constitutional Court.

In his petition filed in Constitutional Court , Kazinda who is currently incarcerated at Luzira prison wants the Attorney General, the Inspectorate of Government, Director of Public Prosecutions and the High Court Anti-Corruption Division to  be held in contempt of  a Constitutional court order for their omissions .

He avers that failure to acquit him of all charges arising from employment as the principal accountant in OPM, and continuously prosecuting him yet the Supreme Court had not set aside the decision of the Constitutional Court that ordered for his unconditional release , keeping him imprisoned and imposing more prison sentences is illegal.

In August 2020, a majority judgment of the Constitutional Court held that the continuous prosecution of Kazinda amounted to double jeopardy before ordering his release from Luzira prison where he has been incarcerated for nearly a decade.

The justices added that the numerous trials for offenses similar in character amounts to a deprivation of the right to a fair hearing thus nullifying and setting aside all decisions against Kazinda and issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the state from using any process of any court to prosecute Kazinda.

The says  he continues to languish in prison.

Dissatisfied  with the decision of the Constitutional Court, the Attorney General  appealed before the the Supreme Court to overturn the same.

The Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo on Friday last week, heard and said it will deliver the judgement on notice.

Kazinda now wants the Constitutional Court to declare that the omissions of the prosecuting agencies amount to contempt of court for which they should be held liable.