The state has brought new charges against Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere after he made a second appearance at the Chief Magistrate's court in Jinja on Tuesday morning.
Mumbere's charge sheet was amended to add new charges, including terrorism and attempted murder, to an earlier charge of murder arising from the murder of a policeman, Geoffrey Kasimba, in Kasese in March 2016. The total charges, all related to the March incident, now amount to 12.
Being capital offence, the Rwenzururu king was not allowed to plead to the charges that are only triable by the High Court.
The Jinja Court Chief Magistrate, John Francis Kaggwa, read the charges to Mumbere, who was not allowed to enter a plea because the offences were capital in nature and could only be tried by the High Court.
Magistrate Kaggwa ordered that Mumbere be transferred to Luzira Maximum Security Prison in Kampala, after spending two weeks on remand at Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja.
Mumbere has been under arrest since 27th November when he was airlifted from Kasese to Nalufenya in Jinja district, following a raid on his palace during which over 80 people, mostly royal guards, were killed.
Following the raid on the palace, 136 royal guards were arrested and detained in Kasese. 30 of those detained have also been transferred to Nalufenya.
Moments before the court could start, there was a melee at court with security officers arresting opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye who had come to show solidarity to the king.
Meanwhile, Dr Besigye was briefly detained at Nalufenya Police Station after he insisted on entering the Jinja Magistrates Court.
The Leader of Opposition Parliament Winnie Kiiza, King Mumbere’s wife Nyabaghole Agnes Ithungu and MPs Robert Centenary and William Nzoghu were some of the leading Rwenzori personalities present in the Jinja court.
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