Court has halted the case in which Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine is accused of disobeying statutory duty when he protested social media and mobile money tax imposed by government in 2018.
In a session presided over by Buganda Road Court magistrate, Doreen Kalungi on Thursday, the lawmaker did not show up for mention of the charges.
However, this did not stop Ms Kalungi from delivering a ruling in which she referred the case to the Constitutional Court to determine whether sections 5 and 10 of the Public Order Management Act (POMA) under which the presidential aspirant is charged, do not infringe on freedoms of speech and association that are guaranteed in the Constitution.
After reading the ruling, the magistrate said the criminal trial will be temporarily put on hold until the Constitutional Court pronounces itself on the challenged sections.
Mr Kyagulanyi is facing the charges alongside David Lule (disc jockey), Julius Katongole (student), Fred Ssentamu Nyanzi (businessman and a brother to Bobi) and Edward Sebuufu (barber).
However, court issued criminal summons against Mr Kyagulanyi for failing to appear despite his lawyer, Mr George Musisi, informing court that his client had been caught up in official duties in his constituency.
Prosecution contends that Mr Kyagulanyi and his co-accused on July 11, 2018, at City Square in Kampala District, disobeyed Sections 5 and 10 of the Public Order Management Act 2013 by holding a public meeting without giving notice to any authorized officer, holding a public meeting without adhering to the required criteria and refusing to cooperate with the police.
It’s alleged that the Kyadondo East MP held a meeting with his supporters to protest against the introduction of new social media tax (OTT) of Shs200 daily and mobile money tax by government mid 2018.
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