By Peter Ssebulime
The High Court Civil Division has Monday adjourned hearing of a case in which Uganda’s ambassador to Burundi retired Maj. Gen. Matayo Kyaligonza is accused of allegedly assaulting a journalist attached to the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) identified as Peter Otai.
The matter was filed by Uganda Journalists Association(UJA) and Deogratius Peter Otai versus retired Major General Matayo Kyaligonza and others.
Otai, who filed the case through his lawyer Eron Kiiza, sued Kyaligonza, his two Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) bodyguards identified as Corporal Peter Bushindiki and Private John Okurut and the Attorney General William Byaruhanga.
Since Kyaligonza and his co-accused were absent and weer represented by their lawyers Evans Ocheng and Ameri Mukama, court issued a production warrant for Corporal Bushindiki and Private Okurut, plus a hearing notice to the Attorney General and Gen. Kyaligonza respectively.
Otai accuses Kyaligonza and his bodyguards of allegedly assaulting him on February 24, 2019, as he filmed them battering a Uganda Police traffic officer identified as Esther Namaganda in Seeta town, Mukono district, after she tried to stop them from flouting traffic regulations .
However, because the accused weren’t in court, Justice Andrew Byabashaija issued a production warrant for the UPDF soldiers and adjourned hearing of the matter registered vide file number to January 27, 2020 at 11:00Am .
