State Drops Winnie Case

Feb 25, 2002

WHILE the defence lawyers carried big files to court for the mid-trial submissions yesterday, State attorney Damalie Lwanga carried a single-page withdrawal form of the sedition charges against Mbarara town MP, Winnie Byanyima.

By Jude Etyang WHILE the defence lawyers carried big files to court for the mid-trial submissions yesterday, State attorney Damalie Lwanga carried a single-page withdrawal form of the sedition charges against Mbarara town MP, Winnie Byanyima.Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Frank Othembi consequently dismissed the sedition case after reading the withdrawal letter from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Richard Butera.“This is to inform court that the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided to discontinue proceedings against Hon Winnie Byanyima, charged with sedition.” Butera’s letter dated February 19, said. But apart from shaking hands with her lawyers outside court, Byanyima, who has been on trial since mid last year, did not express much excitement about her exoneration.Erias Lukwago, the lead defence lawyer, told the court that the withdrawal was “long over due.” Nobody has ever been convicted for sedition in recent times and most trials on sedition have ended with either an acquittal or withdrawal of charges by the State. The court ordered for the refund of sh500,000 which Byanyima paid for bail. The court had ordered the State to close its prosecution case (giving evidence) on February 19, due to failure to present witnesses. Yesterday was set for submissions on whether Byanyima had a case to answer or not.The prosecution case suffered a major setback after failure to produce the Kenya television recording which carried the alleged seditious statements allegedly made by Byanyima.The State also failed to produce a crucial witness who reportedly transcribed the television recording of the Kenyan television station, KTN, talk-show.Three witnesses had testified against Byanyima, an airport casual labourer, an undercover policeman attached to Entebbe Airport and a Kampala “lay person,” who reportedly heard and read the statements on a local radio station and newspapers. The sedition case stems from a statement Byanyima allegedly made on a Kenyan television show on March 31 last year, that President Yoweri Museveni was training Interahamwe militia to overthrow Paul Kagame’s government in Rwanda.It was also alleged that she confirmed the statement at Entebbe Airport at a press conference on April 7, on April 10 at another press conference on Apollo Kaggwa Road, Kampala. Byanyima still faces another trial on charges of illegal possession of a firearm before the same court.Ends

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