Lawyers to the missing Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana have revealed plans to file a Habeas Corpus application, seeking for the production of the legislator in court dead or alive.
Habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee before the court to determine if the person’s imprisonment or detention is lawful.
A habeas petition proceeds as a civil action against the State agent (usually a warden) who holds the defendant in custody.
The lawyers including Erias Lukwago and Shamim Malende say they want court to produce the Mp dead or alive.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) Mps Ssegirinya and Ssewanyana were recently jailed at Kigo prison on allegations of murder, attempted murder and terrorism.
While Ssewanyana was released briefly on Thursday last week, Ssegirinya stayed in custody because one of his sureties Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake was absent to sign on his release form.
Malende said :’’up to now we have not identified where Hon Allan Ssewanyana is, we hav been to different detention centers even SIU in Kireka but they have told us they don’t have him. So as lawyers, we have prepared application which is supposed to have the Hon Ssewanyana unconditionally released or produced in court dead or alive,we are going to file that one after this court.’’ Ssewanyana was on Thursday rearrested after he was released from Kigo prison.
The army’s spokesperson Flavia Byekwaso later confirmed to the press that Ssewanyana was arrested by joint security team,on other charges that he needs to answer.
Ssewanyana and his Kawempe North MP counterpart Muhammad Ssegirinya, are facing attempted murder and terrorism charges arising from the recent machete killings in Masaka sub-region that left close to 30 people dead.
