US Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie Brown
The Senior Press Secretary to President Yoweri Museveni, Innocent Wanyama has lashed out at America’s Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie Brown for being clueless about Uganda’s legal system.
The bickering between these two took place on Twitter after Ambassador Brown expressed her disappointment over failure to have Human Rights Lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo released on bail after his appearance in court.
The US diplomat wrote on Twitter, “Disappointed to learn that the only decision taken today wrt to the charges against Opiyo was to remand his case to another court and to continue to detain him. Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied.”
However, Wanyama fired back, urging Ambassador Brown to educate and acquint herself with how Judiciary in Uganda operates noting, “Please take time to appreciate your host country’s systems. There’s nothing like “remand case to another court”. Importantly, respect our processes. Imagine if all our views on President Trump’s pardon of Stones, Manafort & Kushner counted!”
The US Presidential pardons referred to were in response to reports from US Media that Trump is using his last days in office to pardon his allies like Roger Stone, Paul Manofort and Charlie Kushner son to his son in law, Jared Kushner, a decision that has attracted rebuke within US, with both Democrats and Republicans describing the decision to pardon the trio as rotten.
Human Rights Lawyer, Opiyo was kidnapped by plain clothed security operatives alongside Anthony Odur, Herbert Dakasi, Simon Peter Esomu and Hamid Tenywa a Human Rights staff at National Unity Platform from Lamaro Restaurant in Kamwokya (Kampala) and later Police confirmed having them in their custody at Special Investigation Unit (SIU) in Kireka since Tuesday.
Opiyo appeared before court today and charged with money laundering under the anti-money laundering law and an offence under the NGO Act, 2020 and remanded until 28th December 2020 when his bail application would be heard.
When is one kidnapped and or arrested, if one finds himself in gazetted police cell , is that one to a kidnap.?