There was drama at a bar in the Ugandan capital Kampala after police officers arrested Yorke Alioni Odria, the MP for Yumbe District’s Aringa South County, before arraigning him to court this Wednesday, October 05 morning.
Odria was reportedly making preparations for his wedding and refused to honor summons to appear at the CID headquarters in Kibuli for questioning over his conduct (or misconduct) during last week’s election for Members of the regional parliament, the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala).
The MP was recorded punching a police officer named Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alex Senge at Parliament as voting for the Eala MPs was underway.
So, after he declined to turn up for questioning by CID operatives, police swung into action and arrested him from a bar on the night of Tuesday, October 04.
Today morning, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) law maker was arraigned before Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court and formally charged with assault and doing grievous harm to a police officer on duty.
Prosecution alleges that on September 29, 2022, while at the Main Parliamentary Building in Kampala District’s Kampala central Division, unlawfully assaulted and did grievous harm to ASP Senge, an officer of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) who doing his work as assigned by his commanders.
Through his lawyers, the NRM MP applied for bail.
Siena Owomugisha, the magistrate presiding over Buganda Road Magistrates Court in Kampala this morning, granted Odria’s request for bail.
The NRM law maker was bailed at Shs1m while each of each of his two sureties was bonded Shs10m, non cash.
Magistrate Owomugisha also directed the MP to deposit his passport with the temple of justice, meaning that his travel out of the country, in case he had any such travel plans, will be approved by court.
The legislator is expected to return to Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court on November 04, a month from today, where the magistrate will further mention his case and give an update on the trial.
You can watch the video showing the NRM MP punching a police officer Here.
After the incident, police summoned the MP for questioning. (Read Story Here).
READ: Norbert Mao ‘Man’ Gerald Siranda, Eight Others Elected Uganda’s EALA MPs (See List)
