Court adjourns Amuriat, Soroti MPs' unlawful assembly case

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The court in Soroti has adjourned the case in which Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat and two Soroti City MPs are charged with holding an unlawful assembly, burning tyres, and throwing stones.

The two MPs—Joan Alobo (Woman MP) and Jonathan Ebwalu (West MP)—are jointly charged with Sam Acheitum, Sylus Emedu, and Albert Ogalamu.

The case, which was scheduled for mention before Soroti Chief Magistrate Hilda Bakanasa Walaga, was postponed to April 28th due to her indisposition.

Amuriat and his co-accused have denied all charges. Some of the alleged offences date back to last year when the Soroti City MPs were accused of disrupting traffic by staging a demonstration in the middle of the road while wielding machetes.

The defence team includes MPs Moses Okot Bitek and Anna Adeke Ebaju, alongside lawyers Edmund Elasu and Gabriel Ogire.

Separate case against Alobo

Separately, Alobo and 12 other city residents face four counts of arson, malicious damage, breaking into Jozan Nursery and Primary School, inciting violence, and theft.

Alobo was granted a cash bail of sh2 million, while the 12 co-accused have remained on remand at Soroti Prison since their arrest on March 6, 2025. Due to the trial magistrate’s absence, their case was adjourned to April 17, 2025.

Angry residents set fire to Jozan Nursery and Primary School after a Primary One pupil, Joan Faith Apio, was found murdered in the school toilet.

Eight people, including the school director Joseph Okedi and his wife Suzan Vivian Ariokot, were arrested and charged with murder. They remain on remand in various prisons across Teso and Mbale, with their case set for mention on April 3rd.

Public anger over the school burning stemmed from the court’s decision to conduct proceedings via Zoom instead of presenting the suspects physically.

“Legally, the suspects have appeared in court and have heard the court’s decision to further remand them. Zoom has enabled us to bring them together from the different prisons where they are being held,” Grade One Magistrate Apollo Kasuja explained.

Police sources told New Vision that they anticipated security risks if the suspects were brought to court in person.

“Last time they appeared physically, angry residents stoned police officers escorting the suspects, so we decided to handle the matter virtually,” said a senior police officer, who declined to be named.