By Charles Etukuri
The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) has summoned lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde to appear before the cyber-harassment unit over claims he harassed Justice Musa Ssekaana.
This will be the second lawyer Ssekaana is complaining about after Male Mabirizi, who was Monday afternoon arrested over contempt of court.
In a letter dated February 21, 2022, Julius Twinomujuni, writing on behalf of the Directorate of CID, noted that “CID is conducting inquiries into the alleged offensive communication to the prejudice of Justice Musa Ssekaana. You are required to report to CID Headquarters on February 28, 2022 at 10:00 am and you will particularly report to the officer in charge of cyber harassment, Henry Kayizza, who will guide you on what is required.”
On Monday Ssemakadde said he was not shaken by the summons.
“I’m not scared and I won’t be deterred,” he said.
On February 7 and February 21, Ssemakadde’s firm Legal Brains Trust wrote to Justice Tadeo Asiimwe, the president of the Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA), requiring them to provide details and minutes of a meeting held by the UJOA condemning him.
This was after UJOA issued a statement on social media condemning Ssemakadde.
In their statement, UJOA noted that they had learnt of unbecoming utterances of Ssemakadde through his Twitter handle directed to some judicial officers and recommended sanctions against him for such conduct.
UJOA urged the Uganda Law Society and Law Council to take the necessary action to take this irreverent behaviour, which severely impacts judicial officers in the performance of their official duties.
However, in a rejoinder, Ssemakadde’s Legal Brain Trust wrote back to UJOA.
“Ssemakadde has been eagerly waiting for the correspondence from your Organisation relating to a report of proceedings, minutes, and resolutions of the general meeting of UJOA wherein it was deduced that Ssemakadde is condemned in the terms of the impugned letter dated February 1, 2022 which you distributed widely in the mass media,” Irene Nakiyonga, Ssemakadde’s personal assistant, wrote.
UJOA did not, however, respond.
On February 7, 2022 Legal Brains Trust wrote to Chief Registrar Sarah Langa indicating that their attention had been drawn to comments from some Judges and Justices who attended the 23rd annual judges conference at Mestil Hotel & Residences in Nsambya, Kampala.
“I have been instructed to notify you that Semakadde is shocked and dismayed and embarrassed by the unjudicial posture taken by those judges and the justices, if at all it is true that he was condemned in a national Judges conference without a fair hearing. Be it as may be, Ssemakadde would like to understand the concerns and motivations of the said judges and justices better,” Legal Brains Trust indicated.
