Anywar walk case ruling for January 21

A court in Entebbe yesterday set January 21 for the ruling of the case against Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Anywar on two counts of obstructing traffic and assaulting a police officer during the 2011 walk-to-work protests.

Entebbe Grade One Magistrate Hellen Ajio set the date after hearing from Ms Anywar’s defence lawyer and the State prosecution.
Prosecution led by Mr Ivan Kyaze, lined up three witnesses accusing Ms Anywar of obstructing traffic and assaulting Ms Christine Namale.

But Ms Anywar’s lawyer, Mr Jackson Rwakafuzi, asked the court to dismiss the case, saying the prosecution had failed to adduce enough evidence.
According to the charge sheet, Ms Anywar failed to comply to lawful orders on April 14, 2011, at Zana round-about when two police officers stopped her from walking to obstruct traffic, a charge under the Traffic and Road Safety Act and assaulting a police officer on duty, contravening Section 238 of the Penal Code Act.

In August last year, the court found substance in the case after prosecution ordered Ms Anywar to produce witnesses and video evidence in her defence before judgement could be passed.

Ms Namale told court that while carrying out her duties at Kajjansi, she found Ms Anywar walking in the middle of the road with about 60 to 70 people and ordered her to get into the police patrol car.

“She agreed and on leaving the vehicle, she pounced on me to beat me up,” Ms Namale said. She backed up her testimony with hospital documents, confirming the assault, although Mr Rwakafuzi dismissed the documents as fake because the hospital case was reported after the incident.

The lawyer said since the police truck was high and Ms Anywar was told to jump off, she could have accidently hit the police officer.

Ms Anywar earlier said the move was a ploy by the government to keep her away from her duties, which she said was unfortunate.