Minister in court to reclaim seat
KAMPALA. Defence State minister Charles P Okello Engola Macodwogo has run to the Court of Appeal to challenge his removal from Parliament by the High Court.
Justice Night Percy Tuhaise of the High Court on June 28 nullified the election of Mr Okello as Oyam North legislator on grounds that there is a variation in the name in the academic papers he presented in court and the one he used for his nomination.
Earlier judgement
The trial judge said the academic papers used for his nomination bore the name Okello P Charles Engola whereas the one he presented in court and the name he used for registering for the national Identity Card is Okello Engola Charles Macodwogo.
In his notice of appeal that he lodged on July 5, the appellant said he was dissatisfied with Justice Tuhaise’s judgment. Mr Okello’s victory was challenged by the Uganda Peoples Congress party’s Krispus Charles Ayena Odongo, one of the losers of the February 18 parliamentary election.
The counter claim
The minister filed the appeal notice through his lawyers of Bashasha and Co Advocates. The appellant alleges that the judge erred in law and fact when she failed to properly evaluate the evidence on record thereby arriving at a wrong decision. Mr Okello claims that the bachelor and master degrees he presented for nomination belong to him.
The meaning
The implication of this notice of appeal is that the Defence state minister can continue representing the people of Oyam North constituency until that time when the Court of Appeal makes its verdict.
The Court of Appeal, which is now the last court to deal with election related disputes for the MPs and local government councillors; now has up to six months to hear and make a decision in this matter according to the amended election rules.
