MP Odonga Otto's arrest warrant withdrawn

Court in Kitgum has granted an application to vacate the arrest warrants issued against Aruu South County MP Odonga Otto and Aruu North County MP, Lucy Achiro and their sureties for absconding from court proceedings late last month.

The accused's counsel Geoffrey Anyuru pleaded before court that his clients were not supposed to be issued warrants of arrests, for absconding from court proceedings but were instead supposed to be served with criminal summons.

Although Lucy Achiro was present in court, Anyuru told court that Odonga Otto was not in court since he was undergoing treatment on his spine and doctors had discouraged him from travelling.

Anyuru's efforts to have new sureties since Okin PP Ojara and Martin Ojara Mapenduzi had requested to be discharged from being sureties for Odonga Otto failed.

The request was not granted and the Kitgum grade one magistrate Isaac Rukundo ruled that the sureties cannot write to court but have to present their request in person before court.

Rukundo adjourned the case to the August 22nd.

Otto and Achiro are being charged with threatening violence, inciting violence, obstructing electoral officers and destruction of electoral materials that were set for a recount.