TERRIBLE! Masindi district speaker, councillors face arrest over failure to pay court costs
The contempt of court charge stemmed from convening a district council sitting that resolved to disband the district service commission despite a court order restraining them from doing so.
Masindi: The Masindi High Court has taken a stern stance against the district speaker and two councillors.
The Masindi High Court assistant registrar, Juliet Nakitende, has issued a warrant of arrest for the Masindi district speaker, Moses Kirya, Denis Tumwine, and Namande Gladys councillors, representing workers, for failing to pay court costs.
In February this year, the Masindi High Court ordered the trio each to pay 1,500,000 shillings as general damages in satisfaction of the court order.
The court bailiff, Moses Byaruhanga, has been directed to apprehend the judgment debtors unless they pay 4,500,000 shillings for the cost of executing this process. The deadline for compliance is May 6, 2024.
‘’This is to command you to arrest Hon. Moses Kiyra, Hon. Denis Tumwine, and Hon. Gladys Namande (judgement debtors), and unless the judgment debtors pay the sum of 4,500,000 shillings for the cost of executing this process, bring the debtors before this honourable court with all convenient speed and return this warrant not later than May 6, 2024,’’ the arrest warrant stated.
When contacted, Moses Kirya, the Masindi district said that he hasn’t received any document from court pertaining their arrest. He however said a team of their lawyers are handling the matter and there is no need for an alarm.
”I haven’t received any document from court ordering for my (our) arrest, but a team of our lawyers are handling the issue, and there is no need for an alarm,” he added.
In February this year, the Masindi High Court ordered Masindi district council speaker Moses Kiirya, together with four district councilors, to pay a fine of six million shillings for contempt of court.
The order was contained in a judgment delivered by Isah Sserunkuma, the Masindi resident judge, dated February 2, 2024.
This followed a miscellaneous application arising from a civil suit that was filed by Ojok Victor Byaruhanga, Asiimwe Kwiryara, and Kyamanyawa Swaib, all members of the district service commission, against the district local government, Kiirya Moses, and councilors Denis Tumwine, Gladys Namande, and William Mwambu.
The applicants asked the court to issue a warrant of arrest against the defendants for convening a district council sitting that resolved to disband the district service commission despite a court order retraining them from doing so.
They also asked the court to expunge the minutes of the council sitting held on July 27th, 2023.
Judge Sserunkuma, however, ruled that the first respondent, Masindi district local government, represented by the chief administrative officer, Phiona Sanyu, never defied the court order and was therefore not condemned to the costs.
The contempt of court charge stemmed from convening a district council sitting that resolved to disband the district service commission despite a court order restraining them from doing so. The court also expunged the minutes of the council sitting held on July 27, 2023.
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