On March 30th, 2021, Geoffrey Okot, a journalist with Choice FM in Gulu dragged the legislator to court on charges of assault and causing him bodily harm contrary to Section 236 of the Penal Code Act.
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Samuel Odonga Otto being escorted to police car from Awsa Police Headquarters -Photo by Jesse Johnson James
Gulu Grade
One Magistrate, Christine Turibamwe has allowed the Aruu County legislator, Odonga
Otto to negotiate an out of court settlement with a journalist accusing him of
assault.
On March 30th,
2021, Geoffrey Okot, a journalist with Choice FM in Gulu dragged the legislator
to court on charges of assault and causing him bodily harm contrary to Section
236 of the Penal Code Act.
According to the prosecution, Otto allegedly committed the offence on June 16th,
2019 at Pece Stadium in Gulu City during the FUFA Drum encounter between Acholi
and West Nile Provinces. Otto pleaded not guilty to the charge.
While appearing in court on Wednesday, Otto asked the court to permit him to settle
the matter with the complainant outside court other going to full trial. Okot
agreed to the proposal for an out of court settlement but asked for time to
consult his lawyers, which was granted.
Turibamwe adjourned the matter to May 20th,
2021 when the two parties will report back to court about the progress of their
talks. According to Section 236 of the Penal Code Act, any person who commits
an assault occasioning actual bodily harm commits a misdemeanour and is liable
to imprisonment for five years.
