By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: Trial of the case in which Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and others are accused of allegedly holding an lawful protest against the Over The Top (OTT) tax is bound to delay longer than expected.
This is because prosecution On Monday asked court to grant them more time in which to produce witnesses in the case. Kyagulanyi is charged together with David Lule, Julius Katongole, Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu and Edward Sebufu. Trouble for them started in July, 2018 at City Square in Kampala where they staged a protest against the introduction of the Shillings 200 daily levy for social media users. Prosecution alleges that the group and others at still at large contravened sections five and ten of the Public Order Management Act, which regulates public meetings.
State Prosecutor, Barbra Kyomugisha, made the request for an adjournment when the suspects had appeared before the Buganda Road Grade One Magistrate, Joan Ketty Acaa for the trial.
Kyomugisha explained that they hadn’t been able to summon the witnesses since some of the suspects didn’t appear in previous court sessions held in July.
Acaa gave prosecution the second last time to summon the witnesses to appear before court on September, 17th, 2019. The suspect’s lawyers including Benjamin Katana , Shamim Malende and Luyimbazi Nalukola prayed that prosecution makes sure that the trial begins next time.
However, while addressing the press a few minutes after the adjournment,
Kyagulanyi said “The charges brought against us are trumped up. The state brought up the charges me and my co-accused so as to divert us from our political agenda of challenging President, Yoweri Museveni in the 2021 elections.”
