Grade one magistrate Paul Owino Tuesday afternoon remanded Dan Oola Odiya the UPC deputy national mobiliser to Gulu central Prison until June 29 when he will reappear in court.
Mr Oola Odiya was charged with seven charges including treason, concealment of treason, two counts of murder, aggravated robbery and three counts of attempted murder.
Magistrate Owino read the charges to Dan Oola said his court does not have the jurisdiction to try his case and that he (Odiya) had the rights to remain silent.
Mr Oola Odiya’s family, journalists and friends including outgoing UPC president Olara Otunnu arrived in court and found that Oola Odiya had already been remanded. Court was supposed to begin at 2 pm. But he appeared in court earlier than the stated time.
Dan Oola Odiya was arrested in Gulu town on Wednesday evening last week as he went back home. Security accuse him of having links to the May 27th attack by an armed group on Opit military detach in Gulu district. The attackers killed one soldier and looted eight guns.
The dead soldier was identified as Alfonse Ojara and a five-year-old boy identified as Haggai Okullu. They were reportedly shot at by the attackers.
On Sunday evening, an unknown group of armed people attacked Gulu Central Police in Gulu town. The police chief, Gen Kale Kayihura said the attack on the police was an attempt to rescue Dan Oola Odiya.
The family of Oola Odiya was not in court when he was remanded neither were his friends. Most arrived at 2 pm Wednesday afternoon when the court Mr Oola should have appeared in court. But when they arrived, Oola had already been remanded.
Outgoing UPC party president Olara Otunnu was unimpressed with the manner of Oola’s appearance in court.
‘‘We protest the manner in which the case of Dan Oola Odiya has been handled. I arrived in court on time. His family members arrived in court on time. But we found he had already been remanded,’’ Otunnu told a press conference in Gulu on Wednesday.
Otunnu said Oola’s lawyers have not had access to him since he was arrested on Wednesday.
Otunnu said Oola Odiya is a principled man ” I can speak with complete confidence that I know whom I am speaking about. I know Dan Oola Odiya as a principled man. I know his family. We will do every thing to ensure that justice is served,” said Otunnu.
1 Comment
This is to be condemned at all cost. What sort of a government that threatens civilians in this manner. If you notice, they are threatening non-combatants… One day Museveni and his government will be a thing of the past, but we should NEVER forget what they have done.