Kyadondo East Legislator Robert Kyagulangi Sentamu aka Bobi Wine has Thursday afternoon been granted bail.
In her ruling Buganda road grade on magistrate Esther Nahirya said all the three sureties for Bobi Wine are substantial before allowing the bail application.
The charges date back to.2018 when the legislator and four others led a protest against the introduction Over the Top Services (OTT) tax.
Kyagulanyi pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded to Luzira prison.
Dr Miria Matembe, Hon Mbwatekamwa Gaffa and Hon Patrick Nsamba Oshabe stood surety for Bobi Wine.
She however asked him to pay an UGX1m bail in cash and each of the three sureties asked to pay UGX10m non-cash.
“You are now not allowed to engage in any unlawful demonstrations and if you breach this condition, the bail will be cancelled,” before setting the legislator free.
She adjourned the case to May 23, 2019.
Bobi Wine was not physically present in court as Buganda Road court used the newly rolled out teleconferencing technology for his bail hearing.
His lead lawyer and MP Asuman Basalirwa told court that his client is a peaceful man with no history of conviction.
Basalirwa added that Bobi Wine has a young family who solely depend on him.
The musician turned politician was in Luzira prison while his lawyers were making submissions from Buganda Road court where a video link was set up at Luzira prison.
In the photo these were incidents that transpired at the time when Bobi wine protested advocating for abolition of MOBILE MONEY TAX. file PHOTO.
The charges date back to.2018 when the legislator and four others led a protest against the introduction Over the Top Services (OTT) tax.
Kyagulanyi pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded to Luzira prison.
“Your honor, I thank you for the opportunity to speak under these abnormal circumstances. I want to emphasize that it is not me on trial. It is the court itself on trial. Whatever you decide in that court, your honor, THAT IS NOT MY BUSINESS,” the youthful MP said.
He added that “my business is standing for the truth. My business is standing for what is morally right. My business is standing for what morally beneficial to you, to me, to those people who are persecuting me under the guise of prosecuting me, and all the people of Uganda. Your honor, if standing for what is right will earn me my freedom, I will thank God for it. But your honor, if standing for what is right is going to keep me in this prison, and then I will thank God even louder. After all, I have a lot of work to do, even here in prison.”
Bobi Wine has become the first Ugandan to be tried via digital system as his supporters painted Buganda Road Court with red, an official color of People Power to whom he is the patron.
The digital video conferencing facility, set up by The National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) was last month launched by the Chief Justice Bart Katureebe.
The e-court is powered by the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI/EGI) and enables the hearing of cases without having to transport prisoners to court.
The E-court has been designed to aid mentioning of all criminal cases at Buganda Road Court involving accused persons on remand before cases are fixed for trial.
This system, the first in East Africa, links a court of law set up in a prison and an audio visual link connecting the court to the prison.
NITA-U plans to connect 80 High Courts and Chief Magistrate courts.
