The Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka is asking the court to reject a request made by David Livingstone Ebiru, the former head of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards.
Ebiru is seeking to pause his trial on bribery charges until an investigation is completed.
According to the prosecution, between October and December 2022, Ebiru allegedly offered 100 million Shillings as a bribe to Charles Masekuura, the Chairperson of the UNBS board, in an attempt to secure his position as the head of UNBS. On August 8, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued against Ebiru by the Chief Magistrates Court, instructing the police to arrest him immediately when found.
However, attempts to apprehend him have been unsuccessful, and in response, he filed a case against the Attorney General. He is challenging the trial and seeking to halt it.
Ebiru argues that the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) rushed to bring charges against him without conducting prior investigations, violating his fundamental rights and freedoms.
Ebiru also claims that there is an impending arrest warrant in the Anti-Corruption Court, making his application pointless. In the primary case, he aims to have the criminal summons, arrest warrant, and trial declared as illegal.
Ebiru, through his legal representatives at Web Advocates, is also requesting a permanent injunction against the IGG and her agents from filing charges against him, along with an order for compensation from the government for violating his fundamental rights.
During the court hearing, the Attorney General’s lawyer argued that the Anti-Corruption Court Division does not have the jurisdiction to handle human rights enforcement matters like this one. He stated that this division was established specifically for corruption-related cases.
In response, Ebiru’s lawyer contended that the Human Rights Enforcement Act grants the High Court and Magistrates Court, which deal with criminal matters, the authority to address human rights violations arising from their courts.
He also argued that the court in question can rely on civil law and procedures to issue an injunction to halt the proceedings since the law does not specify any particular court’s jurisdiction.
The presiding judge, Lady Justice Kajuga, is scheduled to deliver her decision on the matter on September 19, 2023. While there are allegations that Ebiru confessed to bribing the UNBS board with 100 million Shillings to avoid suspension, he claims that he made these statements in anger and did not actually engage in bribery.