Buganda Road magistrates court has today delivered judgment in the case against former Old Kampala DPC Joram Mwesigye, accused of beating up journalist, Andrew Lwanga of now forgotten WBS Television and one Joseph Ssetimba from Bukedde, another local TV.
Presiding judge Gladys Kamasanyu found Mwesigye guilty and convicted of assaulting the journalist but in a twist of events, prosecution failed to prove malicious damage charge against Tumwesigye and therefore, the magistrate acquitted him on malicious damage of Mr Lwanga’s camera.
Mr Mwesigye was charged with three counts ranging from assault occasioning bodily harm and malicious damage of property. Court ordered him to compensate Mr Lwanga with Shs5m in addition to paying Shs1m court fine within 30 days or serve one year in jail.
On January 12, 2015, Mwesigye allegedly assaulted Lwanga who later needed spinal surgery and damaged his camera.
The on-off trial of Mwesigye began in 2015, and has been ongoing for almost two years.
On January 13, 2015, it took a group of journalists, led by HRNJ-Uganda, to resort to a peaceful demonstration from the city center to the Police headquarters in Naguru for the police to take action and arrest Mwesigye, charging him with assault and malicious damage to property at Buganda Road Court. He was released on bail on the same day.
To date, Mr Lwanga is still nursing spinal injuries he sustained from the lashes by the police officer.
Photo/Nicholas Bamulanzeki/Twitter
