The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has petitioned the High Court in Kampala, seeking to join Attorney General as a party to a case filed by former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye over his right to free movement that he says was violated on October 3 at Entebbe Airport.
According to John Kagoro, CAA’s Director Airports and Aviation Security, Besigye’s rights were not violated by their staff or agents, adding that merely because he saw persons with reflector jackets marked CAA does not mean they are their staff and agents.
Kagoro also says that airside operations at Entebbe International Airport involve private companies and other agencies of Government, so its not true that CAA was the one who carried out the alleged acts.
He argued that CAA stands to suffer substantially if the Attorney General is not joined.
Early this month Dr.Besigye dragged the Civil Aviation Authority to the High court accusing it of collaborating with security agencies to pull him off the plane on October 3, 2016 at Entebbe Airport.
Through his lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi Besigye argues that the Aviation Authority diverted his planned movements and drove him against his will through remote routes from Entebbe Airport to his home in Kasangati, which action contravened his right to free movement as a Ugandan citizen.
Besigye also says he was denied the right to associate with his family, friends, associates and supporters who were waiting for him.
He says on 22th August this year he left Uganda and addressed a conference in London, Geneva and Boston and returned on 3rd October using Kenya Airways.
That on the fateful date he noticed that the plane had parked unusually far from the terminal and when he got out, he suspiciously noticed a bigger presence of Civil Aviation Authority staff on the tarmac and its vehicle driving closer to the aircraft.
He contends that before he could disembark from the plane, a staff of CAA wearing a reflector jacket pulled him from the last step of the staircase and grabbed him by his trouser towards the CAA vehicle, which drove him away before he could even go through immigration procedure at the Airport.
Civil Aviation Authority has since been given 15 days to file its defence before Justice Patricia Basaza Wasswa.
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editor@independent.co.ug
