Basajjabalaba issued with criminal summons
Jul 13, 2011
BUGANDA Road Court on Wednesday issued criminal summons for city businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba to appear in court on July 27 in relation to the alleged assault of a New Vision photographer Arthur Kintu.
By Andante Okanya and Edward Anyoli
BUGANDA Road Court on Wednesday issued criminal summons for city businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba to appear in court on July 27 in relation to the alleged assault of a New Vision photographer Arthur Kintu.
Senior Grade One Magistrate Evans Palodi, advised Basajjabalaba to appear in court to explore the option of reaching an amicable settlement before the actual hearing starts.
Hearing of the case had been scheduled to begin today but Basajjabalaba’s lawyer Denis Byaruhanga, informed court that he was away in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on a medical checkup. Byaruhanga said he would be available in two weeks’ time.
Kintu was represented by Vision Group legal officer John Mugalula.
Basajjabalaba was charged with the assault on June 27 this year, and was granted a non-cash bail of sh2m. His two sureties who were also bonded at sh2m, not cash. They were present in court today.
Earlier, the magistrate inquired whether the parties had attempted to explore the option of an out of court settlement. But Kintu claimed Basajjabalaba had continued to be hostile, and had again threatened to “break his noseâ€.
Palodi said court would not tolerate such barbaric attitudes, and asked Basajjabalaba’s lawyer to calm him down.
“Let your man cool down and stop the arrogance.Its only mountains that don’t meet. Humans can meet. Let’s find a way of solving this,†Palodi said.
Before he was charged, Basajjabalaba had eluded the Police several times, and a warrant of arrest had been issued for him after he defied summons to appear in court to answer for the charges.
Basajjabalaba, a former chairman of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, is said to have assaulted Kintu during the NRM primaries in September last year.
Prosecution, led by Patricia Cingtho, said Basajjabalaba on September 6, 2010 at Mandela National Stadium in Wakiso district unlawfully assaulted Kintu and occasioned bodily harm on him.
Kintu, who was accredited to cover the function, was taking photographs of Basajjabalaba, who had just been voted as the head of the entrepreneur’s league, when the businessman is said to have slapped and punched him.
Prior, on October 29 last year, Grade One magistrate Francis Kobusheshe, formerly attached to Buganda Road Court, dismissed the case even before Basajjabalaba appeared in court.
However, the Director of Public Prosecutions Richard Buteera reinstated the charge and directed that Basajjabalaba appears in court to answer the charges.
BUGANDA Road Court on Wednesday issued criminal summons for city businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba to appear in court on July 27 in relation to the alleged assault of a New Vision photographer Arthur Kintu.
Senior Grade One Magistrate Evans Palodi, advised Basajjabalaba to appear in court to explore the option of reaching an amicable settlement before the actual hearing starts.
Hearing of the case had been scheduled to begin today but Basajjabalaba’s lawyer Denis Byaruhanga, informed court that he was away in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on a medical checkup. Byaruhanga said he would be available in two weeks’ time.
Kintu was represented by Vision Group legal officer John Mugalula.
Basajjabalaba was charged with the assault on June 27 this year, and was granted a non-cash bail of sh2m. His two sureties who were also bonded at sh2m, not cash. They were present in court today.
Earlier, the magistrate inquired whether the parties had attempted to explore the option of an out of court settlement. But Kintu claimed Basajjabalaba had continued to be hostile, and had again threatened to “break his noseâ€.
Palodi said court would not tolerate such barbaric attitudes, and asked Basajjabalaba’s lawyer to calm him down.
“Let your man cool down and stop the arrogance.Its only mountains that don’t meet. Humans can meet. Let’s find a way of solving this,†Palodi said.
Before he was charged, Basajjabalaba had eluded the Police several times, and a warrant of arrest had been issued for him after he defied summons to appear in court to answer for the charges.
Basajjabalaba, a former chairman of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, is said to have assaulted Kintu during the NRM primaries in September last year.
Prosecution, led by Patricia Cingtho, said Basajjabalaba on September 6, 2010 at Mandela National Stadium in Wakiso district unlawfully assaulted Kintu and occasioned bodily harm on him.
Kintu, who was accredited to cover the function, was taking photographs of Basajjabalaba, who had just been voted as the head of the entrepreneur’s league, when the businessman is said to have slapped and punched him.
Prior, on October 29 last year, Grade One magistrate Francis Kobusheshe, formerly attached to Buganda Road Court, dismissed the case even before Basajjabalaba appeared in court.
However, the Director of Public Prosecutions Richard Buteera reinstated the charge and directed that Basajjabalaba appears in court to answer the charges.