By Spy Uganda
Court on Monday issued an order for the immediate release of Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament Francis Zaake Butebi, who was arrested on April 19, 2020 for allegedly distributing food to people affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, and charged with disobeying the lawful orders of President Yoweri Museveni.
However, despite the court order Zaake is still in police detention according to sources within People Power movement.
This Website has learnt that Nakawa Chief Magistrate Ruth Nabasa had earlier on ordered police to unconditionally release Hon. Zaake Butebi or else arraign him in competent courts of law or tribunal. The order was issued after Zaake having been in detention beyond the 48 hours mandatory time.
While in court, Zaake was represented by lawyers Eron Kiiza and Kiwanuka Abdallah whereas government was represented by Natuhwera Johnson from the office of the Resident State attorney.
Using Hon. Paul Mwiru, Marvin Saazi and Bridget Namirembe’s affidavits, court observed that there is illegality in the detention of the applicant and thus ordered for his immediate release.
We have since established that the Police later drove Zaake in an ambulance to the Magistrates court in Mityana, which also ordered the police to ensure that MP Zaake is released such that he gets adequate medical attention.
Shortly after his release, the Judiciary tweeted thus;
“The Mityana Chief Magistrate Court earlier today declined to formally charge the area MP, Francis Zaake, after he was taken to the Court on a stretcher and visibly ill. The Court has ordered the Police to first take the MP to a proper medical facility for treatment.”
However, despite the court order, Zaake is reportedly still in police detention and the police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango had not issued a statement about his fate by the time of filing this story.
