The Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo, has been put on the spot by Parliament for alleged bias in handling cases related to homosexuality.
During an interface with Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee where she appeared to defend the ODPP’s budget estimates for FY 2024/25, Abodo was questioned on the selective treatment her office reportedly gives to cases related to homosexuality since the country enacted the anti-gay law last year.
Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa, who led the 11th parliament in passing the Anti-Homosexuality law queried the DPP’s motive in “over-centralizing” sanctioning of files to do with homosexuality.
“It was quoted in the media that all cases related to homosexuality must be sanctioned by you. How special are these cases, and what is the legal justification for such an action?” Basalirwa asked.
But Abodo defended her actions, saying it was common practice at the office when dealing with cases of public interest.
“This is not the first time I’ve done it. Cases of public interest are handled at the head office. Human rights abuse cases are also handled at the office (sic) because of the human interest.”
The DPP also announced plans to educate state attorneys and police officers across the country on key ingredients of the law, saying some were using the new law to charge suspects who allegedly committed the offence way before the law came into place
In the same meeting, the DPP dismissed allegations that her directorate is dancing to the tune of foreign countries that are opposed to the law, saying her office has so far sanctioned 10 files of homosexuality-related offences since the law took effect in May 2023.
Abodo also explained why she has failed to prosecute some ministers who confessed to sharing the Karamoja iron sheets that saw three ministers go to jail last year, saying she failed to trace the element of criminality in those specific cases.
Source: NP News
