KAMPALA – The Grade One Magistrate at Mengo Magistrate Court, Timothy Lumunye has granted the embattled evangelist, Augustine Yiga of Revival Christian Church Kawaala a non-cash bail of Shs2M after spending a month in prison at Kitalya government prison. Yiga is facing charges of negligence after saying that coronavirus in Uganda is a hoax.
Through a video conferencing on Tuesday, May 5, Magistrate Lumunye restrained Pastor Yiga from making comments on COVID-19 before his followers, on Television or any social platform whether by way of interview or online posting.
Yiga’s sureties were asked to sign a non-cash bond of Shs5m and ensure that the suspect returns to court on June 25, 2020 as investigations into his case continues.
Prosecution alleges that on March 27, 2020, while at his Church and before reporters of various TV stations, Yiga uttered statements disputing the existence of coronavirus in Uganda and Africa at large, well knowing that such words are likely to hamper efforts to contain spread of coronavirus that had been declared as a pandemic by World Health Organisation.