Ugandan government appeals against court decision on Museveni's critic

The Ugandan government has expressed discontent with a high court ruling on Army General David Sejusa which dismissed his court martial charges and ordered government to pay him compensation as well as approve his application for retirement from the army.

Uganda’s Attorney General has filed an appeal against the May 28 High Court ruling which dismissed Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) court martial charges against the General whom it says is not subjected to military law because the government withdrew his salary, allowances and benefits.

The long time critic of the president Yoweri Museveni was arrested late January, weeks before the presidential election, and charged before a court martial for insubordination, engaging in partisan politics and being absent from duty without official leave.

“As government, we maintain that Gen Sejusa is still an officer of the UPDF since he has never received any official communication from the UPDF promotion’s board that is charged with the duty to retire soldiers,” local media quoted a part of the Attorney General’s appeal.

The appeal also wanted the reinstatement of the court martial prosecution which the government said was halted without any justification.

The UPDF was described as discriminative by the high court for denying the 61-year-old General’s application to retire while approving that of others despite his advanced age and injuries suffered during military service.

The court ordered the government to pay General Sejusa compensation of Shs750 million ($222,555) as “damages for violating his rights through arrest, detention, prosecution and denial of bail before the General Court Martial on top of his salary arrears, allowances and retirement benefits all of which had to attract an interest of 20 per cent,” Uganda’s Daily Monitor news portal reported.