Jinja: Opposition Forum for Democratic Change’s Secretary for Mobilization Kaliro District and former Bulamoji Constituency MP Aspirant, Simon Muyanga Lutaaya has been committed to six months in Kirinya prison for failure to pay a lawyers’ cost of shillings 51 million.
He was sent to the coolers by Grade I Magistrate, Samanya Kasule.
Trouble for Muyanga started when he filed an election petition contesting the ruling National Resistance Movement party (NRM)’s Kenneth Lubogo’s victory but he lost both cases at Jinja High Court and Court of Appeal. Actually, he lost the first case in Jinja High Court on August 19, 2016 and on November 22, 2017 he lost the second in the Court of Appeal.
The court of appeal dismissed his petition with costs amounting to shillings Shs153 million. Since then, Muyanga who is also the minister of information for Bulamogi Chiefdom started making payments in installments, through selling personal property to raise the money, reducing the burden to Shs51 million which he was supposed to have cleared latest by December last year.
Police Saturday January 13, 2018 blocked former FDC presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago from attending a fundraising rally organized by Muyanga to raise the costs.
The Police were seen chasing away local residents who had gathered to attend the rally.
It was after then that the senior journalist sold off several of his assets including a car and land to pay part of the money.
In February this year, Jinja High Court deputy registrar, Jesse Byaruhanga issued arrest warrant after Muyanga allegedly failed to honour court summons which he (Byaruhanga) describes a contempt of court. This after Muyanga failed to show up in court to show cause why he should not have been arrested.
Lubogo’s lawyer, Hassan Kamba said then that Muyanga was supposed to tell court whether he was bankrupt after failure to pay the court fines. Muyanga did not show up and they have since been hatching a plan to have him face the law.
According to the warrant of arrest, Muyanga is supposed to be arrested, sent to Kirinya prison or Nalufenya and his property sold off to recover the money.
Muyanga’s lawyer Asuman Nyonyintono told this writer today that: But we are doing our best to have our client out of Kirinya.
“When are you are committed in such a case, you can be released immediately when you pay the costs,’ clarified Nyonyintono.
