Hearing of Arua by-election petition starts

Mr Kassiano Wadri follows proceedings in the court room. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO

ARUA. The long awaited hearing of the Arua Municipality by-election petition has started at Arua High Court.

The ongoing petition is being presided over by the Arua High Court Judge, Anthony Ojok.

The petitioner, Ms Nusura Tiperu, is seeking court to nullify the election results on grounds that she was not given a levelled ground to campaign. Tiperu is being represented by Lawyer Mr Enock Baraka. She contends that candidate Wadri Kassiano ferried supporters, and the violence that occurred scared the voters which changed the results.

During the ongoing cross examination by Wadri's lawyer, Mr Renato Kania, Ms Tiperu said she did not see Wadri commit violence but his associates like Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), MP Zaake among others did so.

"I did not see Wadri physically causing violence but it was his associates," she said.

Tiperu, during the cross-examination, accused the Electoral Commission of being biased by not including her in the campaign schedule.

"My name was only written in pen on the campaign after five days when other candidates had already been campaigning," she added.

On the eve of the election, chaos rocked the town after campaigns when supporters of the candidates clashed in the town.

Tiperu was put to task to produce photographic evidence of those who were injured and was asked whether she had medical reports of the injured supporters.

The Arua High Court is jam-packed by the locals who have turned up to attend the session.