KAMPALA– High Court judge Jane Francis Abodo has set August 3 as her ruling date on whether to release Brian Isiko, 25 on bail pending his appeal.
Isiko a student at YMCA Jinja branch who has spent 26 days at Nagonjje prison having been convicted of cyber harassment and offensive on July 5 by Buganda Road Magistrate court after admitting his much love for Ms Sylvia Rwabwogo the Kabarole Woman Member of Parliament.
However, Isiko who had pleaded guilty to the 2 offenses turned challenge his 2 year imprisonment sentence describing it as harsh and excessive.
Through his lawyer Ramathan Waiswa, Isiko applied for bail before High court giving nine grounds. Among them is the fact that he is a student whose continued education will be affected by the 2 year imprisonment term because there is a likely hood that the appeal may not be disposed off as soon as possible .
“My client has suffered a great deal of injustice during trial before the lower court when his plea of not guilty was changed to a plea of guilty without following due process,” Mr Waiswa argued.
Mr Waiswa added that Isiko’s appeal has high chances of success and he poses no danger to society given the fact that the offenses for which he was convicted for do not involve any personal violence .
He has presented 2 sureties a UPDF Retired Capt. Reagan Muganza and his paternal uncle , the Kyambogo University Asst Academic Registrar Godfrey Waako .
However the DPP, through state Attorney Gladys Macrina Nyanzi has opposed Isiko’s bail application on grounds that he has proved no exceptional circumstances of either old age or illness that would warrant his release on bail.
Nyanzi has further added that Isiko has neither brought proof in court that he is a student nor of his permanent place of residence except merely mentioning that he stays with his paternal grandmother Alice Matende.
