Wakiso,
13th/September/2012; Hearing of an assault
case has commenced in a court at Entebbe with the victim journalist testifying
against her suspected attackers.
The New Vision journalist
Rebecca Nakame testified against one Ddungu Erias who she accused of attacking
her on the fateful day. She told court that Ddungu together with two others who
are still at large severely beat her up thereby causing actual bodily harm.
Ddungu is jointly charged with Mutagubya Jamil and Katongole Isa who are still at
large.
Court also issued
witness summons against the medical doctor who examined Nakame, the area defense
secretary who rescued her and Nakaweesi Sumaya who had invited her to take the
coverage.
Prosecution alleges
that on 20th/April/2012, the trio, at Bweya village, Ssissa
sub-county in Wakiso district assaulted Nakame occasioning actual bodily harm
contrary to section 236 of The Penal Code Act and destroyed her property –a
video camera which they also confiscated.
Nakame was attacked by
a mob on the orders of one Hakaya Luswa a special police constable attached to
Kajjansi police station. She had been invited to cover a news story about a
family land wrangle, but was attacked by some family members before she started
filming the story. Luswa was however excluded from the case file for unknown
reasons. He is a police officer attached to Kajjansi Police Station.
Nakame told Human
Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) that she was kicked,
slapped, pushed and her hair pulled as she pleaded for mercy before being saved
by a local council official. She sustained bruises and severe back pain.
The
matter was adjourned to 20th of September 2012 where all the
prosecution witnesses are expected to testify.
‘This is a major stride taken in delivering
justice to the victim journalist. Mob justice has become a real danger and
threat to media practitioners. This behavior must not be condoned by any
person. We hope that the matter will be handled expeditiously and the search
for Katongole Isa and Mutagubya Jamil would bear fruits by having them arrested
and lined up in court” said HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator Wokulira
Ssebaggala.
For
More Information Contact;
Human
Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road at Mengo Kampala Opp. St.
Marcelino Pre. School
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala, Tel:
+256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail:
news@hrnjuganda.org,humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.hrnjuganda.org,BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com
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