Lyomoki denies defying police orders

Buganda Road Court yesterday granted Workers MP Sam Lyomoki a non-cash bond of Shs10 million after he denied a charge of disobeying lawful orders.

According to the charge sheet, Dr Lyomoki, who was arrested by plain-clothes policemen from WBS Television Station on Tuesday morning after a morning talk show, is accused of disobeying summons issued on January 7.

He was required to appear before the commandant of the Special Investigations Unit to answer allegations of incitement of violence following the death of Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda.

Dr Lyomoki, who was taken to court at 5:20pm, 20 minutes outside normal court working hours, appeared before Chief Magistrate Mary Eleanor Khainza, where he took plea of innocence.

His lawyers Abdu Katuntu and Wilfred Nuwagaba, asked the court to take into consideration the time the State produced their client in court when sentencing him. They duo argued that because he was produced outside normal working hours, he could not be able to pay cash to the bank were he to be granted a cash bond.

“Your worship, I am well aware that this honourable court does not register cases after mid-day so that the accused persons can go and look for money in case court grants them cash bail. And in this case, the State deliberately decided to bring our client after working hours,” Mr Katuntu said.

Ms Khainza objected to the state prosecutor’s plea for stringent conditions that the resident state attorney, Mr Martin Rukundo, asked court to prefer against the legislator. Mr Rukundo had, among others, demanded that he surrenders his passport to court before he could be granted bail.

His sureties , among them MPs, Mr Gerald Karuhanga (Youth, Western ), Mr Muwanga Kivumbi Mohammed (Butambala) and Mr Barnabas Tinkasimiire (Buyaga West), were all given non-cash bond of Shs14 million.

Dr Lyomoki was ordered to deposit his passport in court today (Thursday).

sotage@ug.nationmedia.com