Anti-Atwine protesters case dismissed

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Law Development Center-LDC court has dismissed a case in which two activists were accused of inciting violence by dropping a casket demanding the immediate resignation of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine.

Augustine Ojobile and Sharif Kawooya were arrested in August from Kasubi and Kawempe respectively.   The coffin dropped had placards with words attacking Dr. Atwine. “COVID-19 is not a profit venture,” read one of the placards.

On Tuesday, the Grade One Magistrate Marion Ninsiima dismissed their case after repeated adjournments due to the prosecution’s failure to adduce the required evidence against the suspects.

Earlier on, State Attorney Joy Apolot had asked the court for more time to produce other witnesses.

But Ninsiima rejected the request on grounds that the case has been in court for a year and the state had failed to produce any of the witnesses before the court whenever needed.

She also said that the actions of the State were wasting the court’s time and delaying justice for the accused.

Since November, the case has been adjourned four times. The case was adjourned to January 11 after the prosecution said that it had not completed investigations into the case.

In January, it was adjourned twice after the prosecution failed to produce Atwine in court.

Atwine was given the last chance to appear in court and testify in the case or else the case would be dismissed.

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