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By Enatu
Soroti city lawyer Joshua Okello commonly known as Jokel has vowed relentless pursuit for justice for the speaker of Parliament Anita Among against what he terms improper accusations on the person of the speaker.
In what is termed Judicial activism, Okello dragged Attorney general to high court in Kampala on the 27th March asking court for declaration and orders that corruption claims against the speaker and exorbitant expenditure of parliament should not be discussed in the public.
Under miscellaneous cause number 0051, Okello argues that he filed the matter in good faith and under the public interest in the matter of the human rights enforcement act 2019.
In his affidavit, Okello says that the matter should be left to the Inspectorate of government or an independent commission be appointed to investigate.
While the case has not been given a date for hearing in high court civil division Kampala, Okello says he is ready to be in court and should court decision come against him, his files will be ready for court of Appeal.
” I want to inform you that the hearing date shall be stated and the case still stands. Court programs are arranged and you can’t take a short cut. I can assure you that l I will win this case cause I have never been challenged, I always go to court with my facts’ he stated.
With his track record in public litigation interest arising from his 2022 case filed in Soroti high court against Soroti city council and attorney general in the matter of trade order demanding that the city authority removes passenger vehicles from parking, loading and offloading on the street, Okello is confident of winning the case against Attorney general again.
In his application, Okello is seeking court declarations that investigation of the respondent’s agents or servants and inquiries into payment made under orders of some of the parliamentary members are ultra vires, illegal and infringe on the right of privacy of privileged information and the independence of parliament.
The declaration that the order of the respondent’s agents to produce generics and personal information regarding transactions on the speaker’s account details and sum paid on such accounts are ultra virse, illegal and infringed on the independence of the office of the speaker and the commissions.
Okello demands court to issue a declaration prohibiting and restraining the respondent’s, his agents or servant from demanding or forcing the speaker of parliament from releasing personal account details of members of the commission of parliament, unspecified payments and the bank account details.
In his application, Okello is also asking court to for a permanent injunction prohibiting the respondent, his agents or servants from demanding for and compelling on speaker of parliament’s office and members of the commission of parliament from releasing to the respondent’s agents account details, clients payment list, clients’ bank account numbers
He also seeks court to award general damages and costs of the application.
The Speaker of Parliament Anita Among continues to draw attention to the allegations of extravagant spending and corruption within the house. In her recent remarks, Among cites the President’s backing which political analysts have criticized as a scapegoat instead of following up on a potentially critical matter.
