The judge due to hear the treason trial of Ugandas opposition leader has withdrawn from the case, saying there was a perception he would be biased, BBC Online reports Saturday.
Judge John Bosco Katutsi described the view as “absolute rubbish” but said a judge should be above suspicion. He said he had had sleepless nights and his health had suffered.
He is the second judge to withdraw from a case concerning Kizza Besigye – expected to be the strongest challenger in Presidential elections due on 23 February. Dr Besigye faced four different sets of charges, which he said were designed to sideline him in the elections.
The withdrawal of another judge from the trial of Dr Besigye is likely to raise further public concern over the Ugandan judiciarys independence.
Dr Besigye said he had little hope of receiving a fair trial. – The whole aspect of attacking the judiciary points to the end result that the judiciary is intimidated. Whoever will judge my case will do so in fear, he said.
A new judge has not yet been named to hear the trial, which is now due to start on 15 February – just eight days before the elections. Earlier this week a constitutional court ruled that Dr Besigye and his co-accused could not be tried on charges of terrorism and weapons offences before a military court martial.
That ruling prompted a Ugandan army general to criticize the judiciary and accuse the judges of siding with “wrongdoers.”
Mr Katutsi also heard Dr Besigyes rape trial, which finished earlier this week. The court assessors recommended that he be cleared of the charges – but Mr Katutsi has not yet ruled on whether or not to he will follow their recommendation.
Dr Besigyes was arrested in November shortly after returning from four years in exile. He has been out on bail for the last month, and is viewed as the first credible challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, who has allowed Ugandas first multi-party elections since he took power twenty years ago, BBC adds.
