MBALE: Bobi Wine's case deferred to October

COURT|POLICE|CRIME|POLITICS

MBALE - The High Court in Mbale has further adjourned to next month the case filed by Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.

Kyagulanyi filed a case against the Police for blocking him from attending a talk show on one of the radio stations in Mbale city.

Mbale grade one magistrate Andrew Katumbuki adjourned the case to October 26 on grounds that the person who accused the Police officers was absent.

Kyagulanyi's lawyer, Anthony Wameli, said their client did not appear in court because he had lost a relative, and was preparing himself to appear before the High Court in Kampala on another case.

"He could not appear in person because a bigger court had summoned him to appear tomorrow," Wameli said.

Recently, court had also summoned Mbale Resident District Commissioner, Ogajjo Baraza and other key security officials to appear for cross examination over blocking Kyagulanyi's radio talk show. Kyagulanyi is also the National Unity Platform (NUP) party president.

Among those summoned is Elgon region Police commander Wesley Nganizi, officer in charge of Mbale Central Police Station Arafat Kato, Mbale district internal security officer George Mwonda and the representative of the attorney general's chambers, Juliet Topacho.

Katumbuki issued the orders during the hearing of an application, in which Kyagulanyi sued the accused for blocking his radio talk show on the Mbale city-based BCU FM.

Through his lawyers, Wameli & Co. Advocates, Kyagulanyi contends that the actions of the respondents, their agents and those who acted under them are not acceptable or demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.

He wants the court to compel the respondents to personally compensate him for the violation of his rights, pay punitive damages for their high handedness and flagrant breach of the law.

At that time, Kyagulanyi's lawyer, Medard Sseggona, told the court that the applicants served them late with their defence, saying they wanted them to appear in person for cross-examination, adding that they had serious questions that they needed the respondents to answer before the case proceeded.

Katumbuki did not object and asked the respondents to appear for cross-examination, before adjourning the case.