Lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde of Legal Brains Trust, has refused to apologise to the new Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Justice Jane Frances Abodo over comments he made and were interpreted as derogatory.
In an April 27th, 2020 tweet, Mr Ssemakadde came out against the office of the DPP when they offered to prefer charges against Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zzake for distributing food relief among his constituents.
MP Zzake was charged for “Negligent action likely to spread the infection of disease contrary to Section 171 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 120” and “Disobedience of lawful orders contrary to Section 117 of the same act.”
The charge sheet took Mr Ssemakadde, a renown human rights’ activist out of his usual moods, forcing him to openly criticise Justice Abodo saying that she is cut out of the same cloth as her predecessors.
“UPDATE: If you’d thought that “Justice” J F Abodo would be more sensible & impartial than her ODDP (Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions) predecessors, think again. She’s just another rotten tomato. The only difference being that she has a vagina & comes from Karamoja. JUST ANOTHER PUPPET” Ssemakadde tweeted.
The tweet, according to letters we have obtained from the Uganda Law Society (ULS) and the Uganda Association Women Lawyers(FIDA), was “inappropriate” and they demanded that he brings it down, with an apology. Something the lawyer has expressly said, he will not do.
The ULS president, Mr Simon Peter Kinobe, in a letter also condemned the actions of Lawyer Ssemakadde and said the wording he used to express disagreement was not noble enough for the profession.
“Simon Peter Kinobe, whose term of office expired on 4 April 2020, is free to voice opinion in favour of those in power disguised as the collective thinking of the Uganda Law Society. I am also free to voice opinion that shocks, disturbs and offends those in power.” Ssemakadde retaliated.
He faulted FIDA and the ULS for ignoring the injustices that MP Zaake was undergoing and only concentrating on his coinage of words to express his discontent.
“FIDA Uganda, wasn’t it also inappropriate “to embarrass, harass and intimidate” the suspect Zaake Francis? Have you equally condemned that prosecutorial misconduct “in the strongest terms possible”? What is good for #Vagina is also good for #Penis, I beg to submit!” Ssemakadde said.
As if that was not enough, using his lawyer Sheila Namahe of Maxim Advocates, Ssemakadde has threatened to sue ULS and Mr Kinobe for condemning him without a fair hearing.
“It should profit you to inquire whether your purported condemnation of our client without a fair hearing is an institutional or personal act, because we have instructions to sue.” A letter from Ms Namahe to the ULS President reads.
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