Court to hear Amuru poll petition next month

The petitioner, Ms Jane Frances Okilli, casts her vote during last November’s Amuru Woman MP by-election. Photo by Julius Ocungi

Gulu- The High Court in Gulu presided over by Justice Margaret Mutonyi on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the election petition case against Amuru Woman MP Lucy Akello and Electoral Commission (EC) to June 2.

Justice Mutonyi also set June 29 for the ruling on the case in which Ms Jane Okili, who lost the November 20, 2014 by-election, sued EC and Ms Akello for alleged vote rigging.

The adjournment follows failure by Kampala Associates Advocates, who are representing the petitioner, to file affidavits to the court and serve the respondents since December.

Mr Andrew Mauso, the lead counsel of the petitioner, told court that they had delayed filing affidavits due to the absence a registrar at the High Court in Gulu.

“My lord, you very well know that this court had for long been without a registrar and for that matter, it affected our consultations on some of the ways. How we could file in our affidavits in line with the election petition?,” Mr Mauso argued.

He requested that due to limited time and the nature of the case, the court squashes the election results and the EC organises a fresh election.

Justice Mutonyi disagreed with Mr Mauso’s assertions that they could not file their affidavits because there was no registrar at the court.

She noted that the time frame agreed would be enough for the two parties to study the affidavits and make responses without delaying the court.