Australian cardiologist Dr Aggrey Kiyingi, a potential Ugandan presidential candidate, has been charged in absentia in a Ugandan court with murder and terrorism.

He was charged along with 23 other suspects in Jinja district court, 80km east of Kampala before magistrate Isaac Kintu.

They were arraigned on charges of terrorism, aggravated robbery and murdering seven people in eastern Uganda region of Busoga.

According to prosecutors, Dr Kiyingi and the 23 suspects are alleged to have murdered four Muslim clerics, two policemen and a local leader. They are further charged with attempting to murder three other people.

The leader of the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group, Jamil Mukulu, was also charged in absentia.

ADF rebels led by Mukulu were very active during 1990s in eastern Uganda where they killed many people. Later they were defeated and fled to the jungles in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are currently based.

Prosecutor Grace Nabagala asked for an adjournment, telling the court, “the investigations into the matter are not yet complete, but are going on well.”

She also asked the court to issue a summons for Dr Kiyingi and Mukulu.

Dr Kiyingi has previously dismissed the allegations as absolute nonsense.

The cardiologist, who still has a practice in Sydney’s west, said the allegations were part of an orchestrated government campaign against his political organisation that has seen members imprisoned before the 2016 election.

Uganda’s police chief, General Kale Kayihura, had said the government might seek help from Interpol to arrest Dr Kiyingi in Sydney over his alleged involvement in rebel activities.

“It’s absolute nonsense,” Dr Kiyingi told AAP in February.

“(President Yoweri Museveni) has had to come up with his usual evil ways of trying to ban an opponent, so he made a pre-emptive strike and linked me to the murder of the Muslim clerics.”

Ugandan authorities have also accused Dr Kiyingi of funding the ADF.

“I have no dealings with the ADF and I have never financed the ADF,” Dr Kiyingi had said.

“I condemn the killing of the clerics.”