By Andrew Irumba
Odonga Otto, the Aruu county Member of Parliament is in trouble for allegedly assaulting a journalist, who is currently hospitalized.
Odonga is alleged to have brutally assaulted Geoffrey Okot, a journalist working with Choice FM in Gulu district Northern Uganda, on June 16, 2019, together with his fellow journalists were set to cover a football match between Acholi Province and West Nile Province. It is alleged that Odonga Otto punched Okot on the back and around the neck, before he collapsed and was later rushed to hospital in critical condition. The journalist opened up a case of assault against the MP at Gulu police.
However, while commenting about the incident, Odonga, who is yet to report to police wrote on his Facebook timeline thus; “ What a job it is to be an MP in Uganda. You walk into a football match with 1 million shillings for the first goal for your home team. The games is delayed by 15 minutes as the crowd become too much for police, military and prisons. MPs are called to assist police 5 of us MPs move in.The crowd of over 20,000 overpowers all of us even police. We push over a thousand people to create space for technical bench. THE 1 MILLION IN MY POCKET IS SNATCHED. Later the same man runs to police in guilt. The next day he attends a workshop at parl Afric.Hotel then day two he admits himself to hospital fastened in medical belts and sends an emissary to ask for 10million from me to “settle” the matter.I reject any blackmail then awash with social media post alleging assault.HOW CAN YOU ASSAULT SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW AND HAVE NEVER MET?WHAT WOULD BE THE MOTIVE?” Otto wrote.
He maintains the Journalist is a thief who pickpocketed him of hi one million shs.
