Kampala Metropolitan Police yesterday arrested controversial City lawyer Male Mabirizi.
This followed a Court order that was last week issued by the High Court condemning him to serve 18 months in jail over contempt of court.
ASP Luke Oweyisigire, the Kampala Metropolitan Polie Deputy Spokesperson, confirmed Mabirizi’s arrest.
“He was arrested this afternoon at Banda as he was entering Kyambogo University is currently in detention at Jinja Road Police station,” he said
“He will stay at the station as he waits to be taken to Kitalya as ordered by Court to start his 18 months jail term,”
Justice Musa Ssekaana last week issued an arrest warrant directing every Police officer in Uganda to arrest Mabirizi upon sight and be taken to Kitalya Mini Max Prison to serve an 18 months punishment for continued attack of judicial officers.
“Whereas Male Mabirizi has been found liable in contempt of a court order, this is to command you to arrest and deliver the said person to prison mentioned in the committal warrant with immediate effect,” read part of the arrest warrant
This followed an Order, where, Mabirizi was ordered by the Court to pay Shs300 million over contempt of court and continued attacks against judicial officers.
Justice Ssekaana last week said Mabirizi has never presented himself nor filed any affidavits to defend himself over the accusations despite being summoned over the same. This, according to the judge left them with the only option of sending him to prison.
“Mabirizi never presented himself to court after being summoned and neither did he file affidavits to deny the allegations against him. Court has been left with no option but to order for his arrest on sight and be taken to prison for 18 months,” Ssekaana ruled.
However, since last week, the lawyer has been in hiding since the order for his arrest and imprisonment was made last week.
Mabirizi on Monday morning posted through his socials claiming he was in his seventh day of hiding, despite having earlier said that hiding is not cowardice but rather it is his constitutional right.
His eventual arrest comes just one day towards the hearing of Mabirizi’s application seeking to stay execution of all orders issued by Justice Ssekaana against him including his conviction and subsequent sentencing to prison.
It is expected to be heard tomorrow before Court of Appeal Justice Christopher Izama Madrama and all parties had already put in submissions to the application. Mabirizi had also petitioned the Principal Judge Dr. Flavian Zeija to allocate other pending cases of his at the Civil Division of the High Court to a different Judge other than Ssekaana but he was yet to get feedback from the Principal Judge.
The pending applications at the Civil Division sought to set aside orders of Ssekaana for having been issued without granting Mabirizi a right to fair hearing.
