Former Lwengo Woman MP arrested over unpaid legal costs
Former Lwengo District Woman MP Gertrude Nakabira was on Thursday arrested over suits costs. She was however released by court. PHOTO BY MARTINS E SSEKWEYAMA
What you need to know:
- The registrar said Mr Mbabaali was not right to demand the said legal costs before the court of appeal delivers its final verdict on the contentious matter.
- Nakabira had told court that Mr Mbabaali lacked the requisite academic qualifications to stand for MP seat.
MASAKA.
Former Lwengo District Woman MP Gertrude Nakabira was on Thursday arrested and taken to Masaka High Court over failure to pay legal costs incurred by her political rival in the February general elections.
Court bailiffs bearing an arrest warrant picked the former woman MP in the morning from DFCU bank’s Ndeeba branch in Kampala for recovery of Shs140 million as costs incurred by Mr Muyanja Mbabaali, the MP for Bukoto South Constituency during a court case Nakabira had instituted against him in a bid to have him disqualified from standing for election as MP for Bukoto South in the last parliamentary elections.
Nakabira had told court that Mr Mbabaali lacked the requisite academic qualifications to stand for MP seat.
The case was filed in the Masaka High Court before the elections but the court kept postponing its hearing until after the elections were held.
When finally Nakabira and her legal team were given a date for their case to be heard, the same court presided over by Justice John Eudice Keitirima, dismissed it with costs on grounds that it was overtaken by events.
Nakabira, however appealed against the judgment and another court presided over by Justice Margaret Tibulya ruled that Ms Nakabira was at liberty to fine another case against Mr Mbabaali over his disputed academic qualifications which she did.
Mr Mbabaali appealed against Justice Tibulya’s decision but the ruling is yet to be made on the case.
Upon her arrest on Thursday in Kampala, Nakabira was driven to Masaka and presented before the Masaka high court deputy registrar, Mr Backer Rwatooro, who however freed her after spending about two hours in the court cells.
“Our file is held in the office of the deputy chief Justice, who recently assured me that he will soon give his ruling on whether we can go ahead with the petition. But how come that I can be arrested before even a final resolution is got in this matter,” Ms Nakabira wondered before the registrar, who later unconditionally set her free.
The registrar said Mr Mbabaali was not right to demand the said legal costs before the court of appeal delivers its final verdict on the contentious matter.
