Buganda Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged and remanded National Unity Platform (NUP) coordinator, Moses Bigirwa, 37 alongside a journalist, Mr. Pidson Kareire, 45, to Kitalya Prison for extorting money with menaces from Ms. Anita Among, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament.
The duo was last week arrested in Nakasero Kampala, next to the residence of Among after allegedly negotiating a deal of Shs100m to stop spreading defamatory information against her on social media.
The duo through their lawyer, Mr Abdullah Kiwanuka, denied the allegation and told court that they were tortured at Chieftaincy Military Intelligence ( CMI) and forced to make statements.
Mr. Kiwanuka told court that they need a medical examination from the prison where the suspects were detained.
In response the presiding Judge, Ms. Gladys Kamasanyu ordered Kitalya to conduct medical examinations on the suspects to ascertain if security officers tortured them at CMI where they were detained.
Bigirwa and Kareire also denied two other counts which included offensive communication and libel in connection with spreading defamatory information.
The prosecution alleges that the accused persons and others still at large willfully and repeatedly used electronic communication on WhatsApp to post content of offensive nature against Among.
The Magistrate Justice remanded the duo to Kitalya government prisons until 19th November 2021.
