KAMPALA – Music and Events promoter Andrew Mukasa of Bajjo Events has been sent back to Luzira as he awaits the ruling of his bail application on July 5.
Bajjo is facing charges of incitement of violence against the person of president Museveni due to his political opinion.
The music promoter appeared in court to have his charges read to him afresh with the help of an interpreter and also hearing of his bail application.
He has however pleaded not guilty to the two charges prosecution slapped against him after court secured a fluent Luganda interpreter who read the charges for him.
Through his lawyer Erias Lukwago, Bajjo presented three sureties including his fellow events promoter Abbey Musinguzi alias Abitex, TV personality Aloysious Matovu Kiiza and DP’s Moses Bigirwa.
Prosecution led by Patricia Cingitho objected to Bajjo’s bail application saying the investigating officer Detective AIP Imani Were swore an affidavit to the effect that Bajjo is most likely to interfere with the police on-going investigations and chances of committing acts of further incitement to violence are high once he is released on bail.
She further objected to Bajjo’s sureties for submitting in court uncoordinated documents.
In response to her objection, Mr. Lukwago told the court that his client has no capacity to interfere with prosecution’s only witness the president and therefore the court should deny his client’s constitutional right to bail.
However, the trial magistrate Stellah Ambilisi informed Bajjo and his lawyer Elias Lukwago that she needs ample time to study submissions raised by both him and the DPP before making a ruling on bail.
Bajjo is charged with offensive communication in which prosecution states that with an intention to disturb the peace and privacy of president Museveni, without any legitimate purpose recorded a video using his mobile phone containing messages threatening to overthrow the government of Uganda before the year 2021.
According to the charge, Bajjo allegedly incited the public to do an act of violence against the president in this month of June while at various places within Masaka, Ibanda, Mbarara and Kampala districts.
At his first appearance in court, Bajjo had pleaded not guilty to the first offense however he was not allowed to take plea on the charge of offensive communication in order to allow court avail him with a Luganda interpreter to read the charge to for him after he first pleaded guilty.
The plea of guilty threw untold panic to members of the gallery until his lawyer Elias Lukwago asked the court to re-read the charges in a better Luganda version.
However, had court accepted Bajjo’s guilty plea, he would be liable for imprisonment for not more than 7 years.
Bajjo was arrested by security operatives immediately after a dressing a press conference at Centenary Park in Kampala with fellow music promoter Abbey Musinguzi alias Abitex about the cancelled shows of Kyandondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu alias Bobi Wine.