Soroti Grade One Magistrate's Court has directed the Kioga North Member of Parliament James Olobo alias Dubai to pay a fine of 400,000 Shillings or spend six months in prison for assault.
The MP was dragged to Court in Soroti by businesswoman, Hellen Rose Abeso, who accused him of punching her at her business premises.
Court was told that in October 2018, while at her shop in Soroti town, Abeso was attacked by the MP who assaulted and badly injured her during a scuffle before stealing her 25 million Shillings.
In his ruling, the Soroti Grade One magistrate Nause Tumuhimbise rejected the second count of theft on grounds that there was no sufficient evidence adduced in the court to support the claim. Instead, the magistrate ordered Olobo to pay a compensation of 400,000 Shillings to Abeso for the injuries she sustained.
Abeso and her husband, Bura Okello have protested the ruling claiming it's influenced by bribery and intimidation.
“This is unfair; we believe there was some compromise somewhere because the defence lawyer of the accused was not in court for the ruling. The same person who wanted to pay me 50 million in police is now giving just 400.000 shillings, I am going to appeal,”
— says Abeso
Abeso also accused the police of mismanaging the case and receiving bribes to suffocate the matter.
By the time of publishing this story, the MP had been put in the prisoner’s waiting cells within the court premises.