On Thursday, the Grade One Magistrate Marion Ninsiima said that she could not proceed with the case when the State Attorney, Atwine, Ojobile, and Kawooya are not in court.
The Law
Development Center (LDC) Magistrate Court has pushed to April the case in which
two people are accused of inciting violence by dropping a casket demanding the
immediate resignation of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Dr. Diana
Atwine for allegedly mishandling COVID-19 response funds.
Augustine Ojobile and Sharif Kawooya
were arrested in August from Kasubi and Kawempe respectively.
The coffin had placards with words attacking Dr. Atwine. “COVID-19 is not a
profit venture,” read on the placards. In September, the two suspects were
released on bail.
On Thursday, the Grade One Magistrate Marion Ninsiima said that she could not
proceed with the case when the State Attorney, Atwine, Ojobile,
and Kawooya are not in court. She adjourned the case to April 5.
Ojobile’s lawyer
Elotu Jonathan of Lukwago and company advocates told the court that his clients are sick.
This is the fourth
time the case has been adjourned. In November, 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.
She
was given a last chance to appear in court and testify in the case or else the
case would be dismissed.
Fred Kayongo Male
Freelancer