Opposition Democratic Party, DP has stood in solidarity with the journalist’s fraternity to criticize a weak punishment handed over by the Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu to the former DPC of Old Kampala Mr. Mwesigye Joram who was found guilty of assault of a journalist Andrew Lwanga formerly of WBS TV.
Mwesigye was also found guilty of occasioning bodily harm and leading to the loss and destruction of Andrew’s tools of work more so the video camera.
Alex Waiswa Moses Mufumbiro DP’s deputy publicist told the press in Kampala this morning that whereas the judgment found Mr Mwesigye guilty, the punishment accorded wasn’t worth the crime committed and thus only gave the concerned citizenry a pyrrhic victory.
The fine of only a million shillings and a compensation of five millions leaves a lot to be desired, he added.
Waiswa says it is their concern that this will only encourage other police officers to exercise such brutality since the accorded penalty is laughable compared to the crime committed openly on camera.
“We do encourage Mr. Andrew Lwanga to pursue further litigation and have also encouraged our legal team to exhaust all possible grounds under which the Party can stand in solidarity to ensure that the struggle for respect of human rights remains respected in the country.”
