KAMPALA – Supporters of opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) who were arrested for allegedly attacking a magistrate while sentencing Makerere University researcher Dr Stella Nyanzi, have been granted bail.
The suspects; Simon Wanyera, Abdullah Waiswa, Augustine Ojobile, Joel Kabali, Moses Katumba and Fatuma Abenabyo were charged with inciting violence.
The appeared before Grade One Magistrate Stellah Amabilis who granted them a cash bail of Shs 300,000. and denied the offence. However, they pleaded not guilty for the second time.
These have also faced two fresh counts of; contempt of court and common assault in which the prosecution contends that on August 2, 2019 within Buganda Road court premises, the group interrupted judicial proceedings by hurling abuses and throwing a mineral water bottle to her worship Gladys Kamasanyu.
The two new counts now bring the number of charges to four with Abalinabyo Fatuma being identified as the one who threw the mineral water bottle to magistrate Kamasanyu and therefore faces a separate charge of common assault.
Other charges are Incitment to violence and malicious damage to property where ist alleged that On the same date, the suspects willifully and unlawfully damaged a walk through detector machine; the property of Buganda Road court.
Meanwhile, FDC ‘s Ingrid Turinawe ha also been released on bail from Luzira prison where she has spent a fortunate on charges of being a common nuisance.
It’s alleged that on 4th/August 2019, Turinawe while at the Kampala Central police station, she did an act that caused annoyance and inconvenience to the public by assaulting a police officer.
She too pleaded not guilty to the offence and magistrate Amabilisi has granted her shs 800, 000 shillings after presenting her party president Patrick Amuriat and Rukungiri Municipality MP Roland Mugume as surities.
The 2 cases have been adjourned to the September 3 for hearing as police wound up with its inquiries.
The suspects; Abenabyo, Kabali and Wanyera were charged on a separate case file with an offence of malicious damage.
It is alleged that the trio willfully damaged the gadget pinpoint GB a metal detector machine a property of Buganda Road Court.
Dr Nyanzi was sentenced by Grade One magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of cyber harassment when, in 2018, she posted on Facebook a vulgar birthday poem dedicated to President Yoweri Museveni and his late mother.
However, while passing the verdict in Dr Nyanzi’s absence, chaos ensued from a fully packed courtroom when the group of people hurled insults and threw a bottle to the magistrate leading to the arrest.
