Uganda drops charges against Aust doctor

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Uganda drops charges against Aust doctor

Godfrey Olukya - AAP on April 15, 2016, 10:00 pm

The Uganda government has withdrawn all criminal charges against Australian cardiologist Aggrey Kiyingi.

Uganda's director of public prosecutions Mike Chibita on Thursday discontinued the charges of terrorism, murder and crimes against humanity that had been levelled against Dr Kiyingi last year after he was accused of orchestrating a wave of killings of top Muslim clerics.

The announcement was made by principal state attorney Charles Kamuli on behalf of Mr Chibita during a pre-trial session on Thursday in the High Court in the capital Kampala.

"I have instructions from the director of public prosecution to discontinue charges against Dr Aggrey Kiyingi," Mr Kamuli said.

He later presented a document to that effect to the judge Justice Duncan Gaswaga.

"I have seen the nolle prosequi discontinuing the charges against Dr Kiyingi and he is accordingly discharged," Justice Gaswaga ruled.

However, six other suspects who were charged at the same time as Dr Kiyingi are facing six charges including terrorism, murder, attempted murder and aiding rebels who had plans to oust the sitting government.