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.
