Lawyers demand unconditional release of Sheik Yusuf Nyanzi

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The lawyers representing Sheik Yusuf Nyanzi, one of the suspects in the murder of former Police Spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi have demanded his unconditional release.

Nyanzi was arrested on Tuesday morning together with his sixteen-year-old son Abdul Rahim Nyanzi who was later released after spending a night allegedly in one of the Safe Houses in Kampala.

His lawyers from Wameli and Company Advocates led by Geoffrey Turyamusiima say that Nyanzi was picked up from his home in Kisaasi-Kyanja by security operatives who were travelling in a Toyota Hiace.

Turyamusiima says they received information that he had been taken to the Special Investigations Department of Police-SIU in Kireka but on Thursday while addressing journalists, he said that he had been at Kireka, but didn’t find Nyanzi there.

According to Turyamusiima, he was reportedly helped by one of the police officers he only identified as Owere to visit their cells and check in the register of suspects and Nyanzi’s name was not there.

He is now demanding  Nyanzi’s unconditional release saying that it was the fourth time his client is being rearrested since 2017 but no evidence to date has been adduced to implicate him of all the capital crimes against him.

The lawyer has gone to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence in Mbuya to see if his client is being held there.

The lawyers have said that they plan to apply to the High Court, should their client not be released or produced in courts of law.

Nyanzi was first arrested in early 2017 on charges of killing the former Police Spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi, his bodyguard Kenneth Erau and driver Godfrey Mambewa.

But after arraigning him before the International Crimes Division, Nyanzi was charged with three counts of murder and belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces-ADF. He was again charged with the murder of Uganda People’s Defense Forces Officer Major Muhammad Kiggundu and his bodyguard Sergent Steven Mukasa.

Nyanzi was on September 11, 2019, granted bail by the International Crimes Division of High Court and re-arrested immediately within court premises. He was again released after the lawyers filed an application demanding his release.

Since then, Nyanzi has been out on bail until his re-arrest two days ago.

The Uganda Police Force Spokesperson Fred Enanga has since declined to comment on the matter even after the released son of Nyanzi said that his father was being detained at the Special Investigations Unit in Kireka.

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