I was not attacked, says Chief Justice
KAMPALA
Chief Justice Bart Katureebe last evening came out and denied the media reports that there was an assassination attempt against him as he left his Bugolobi home on Monday morning.
In a press release by the Senior Communications officer of the Judiciary Mr Solomon Muyita, the CJ described what happened as a mere min scuffle between his security personnel and the spear wielding attacker.
The CJ adds that the alleged attacker neither attempted to open the door of his official vehicle nor demand to speak to him and that the media reports are exaggerated.
“I only saw a man running around with policemen. He never came close to my car and I never heard him demanding to speak to me. In fact the shooting happened after I left that scene,” reads in part the press statement.
The press statement added: “I don’t believe the man intended to attack me. I think this was a mad man who had blocked many other vehicles on that part of the road. My convoy was just caught up in this situation. So this was not an assassination attempt as the media has put it.”
The Chief Justice also faulted the photograph published on the front page of Red Pepper issue of Wednesday March showing Katureebe’s convoy and besides, was a lifeless body of a man believed to have been shot lying a trench.
The tabloid also reported that the alleged attacker was shot at ten times according to the witnesses.
“The picture is false. The car bearing the CJ tag is not my official car. I don’t have that police patrol pick-up in my convoy, and the man lying dead on the ground is not the man I saw. I think the media should not exaggerate this matter,” he adds.
According to the CJ, his attacker just sustained injuries as the police restrained him and that he later rushed to Mulago Hospital for treatment.
