Kasangati
Kasangati Court has this morning acquitted and discharged the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader, Kizza Besigye of the charges related to walk to work without defending himself. The charges included ; rioting after proclamation, incitement to violence, and disobeying lawful orders of a traffic police officer.
While giving his ruling, the presiding magistrate George Watyekere concurred with the defense lawyer, David Mpangas submissions that prosecution had failed to adduce evidence to back the allegations pinned against his client and such could not necessitate him to defend himself.
its the finding of this court that a prima facie case has not been made against the accused person on the available evidence to require him to defend himself. A tribunal directing itself to the law like the one presided over by me cannot convict the accused if no explanation is given in his defense, ruled Magistrate Watyekere.
In April this year, Dr Besigye joined other opposition protests to urge government action on the rising cost of living particularly food and fuel. A pressure group Activists for Change (A4C) called the protests that required participants to Walk to Work or Walk to Church.
Government reacted strongly deploying hundreds of heavily armed police and other security agencies to block the walkers, many were violently arrested including Dr Besigye while at least five people died as a result of the disturbances while several hundred were injured or arrested
Kasangati Court has this morning acquitted and discharged the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader, Kizza Besigye of the charges related to walk to work without defending himself. The charges included ; rioting after proclamation, incitement to violence, and disobeying lawful orders of a traffic police officer.
While giving his ruling, the presiding magistrate George Watyekere concurred with the defense lawyer, David Mpangas submissions that prosecution had failed to adduce evidence to back the allegations pinned against his client and such could not necessitate him to defend himself.
its the finding of this court that a prima facie case has not been made against the accused person on the available evidence to require him to defend himself. A tribunal directing itself to the law like the one presided over by me cannot convict the accused if no explanation is given in his defense, ruled Magistrate Watyekere.
In April this year, Dr Besigye joined other opposition protests to urge government action on the rising cost of living particularly food and fuel. A pressure group Activists for Change (A4C) called the protests that required participants to Walk to Work or Walk to Church.
Government reacted strongly deploying hundreds of heavily armed police and other security agencies to block the walkers, many were violently arrested including Dr Besigye while at least five people died as a result of the disturbances while several hundred were injured or arrested
