Witnesses lined up against Prof Morris Ogenga-Latigo, challenging his election victory as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Agago North constituency have alleged that he (Prof Ogenga-Latigo) bribed voters with bars of soaps and cash during elections.
Prof Ogenga- Latigo who run and won the election on an FDC party ticket has been dragged to court by his rival, John Amos Okot (NRM), the former MP for Agago.
In his petition filed at Gulu High Court on March 29, 2016, Okot alleged that Prof Ogenga- Latigo bribed voters in order to cheat him off victory.
The former legislator who succeeded Ogenga-Latigo in the 2011 election is seeking that court nullify’s Ogenga-Latigo’s win.
Charles Otim Adyel, one of the witnesses told the presiding judge, Justice David Matovu that at around 1 am on February 18, before polls opened, he received two bars of laundry soap and two pieces of saucepans on top of 20,000 shillings.
Adyel, a resident of Akwang Central village claims that the cash and other items where given to him by Ogenga-Latigo’s agent who he identified as Richard Obwona.
According to Adyel, after he received the ‘‘bribe’’ in the presence of his wife, he was told to vote for Ogenga-Latigo, one of the three men who were contesting for the Agago North Parliamentary seat.
Another witness of the petitioner (Okot), Margret Abur, a resident of Latigo South village told court that she received 5,000 shillings from Ogenga-Latigo’s campaign agent.
Abur says after the cash was handed to her, she was instructed to vote for Ogenga-Latigo.
Abur also alleges that all those who attended Ogenga-Latigo’s rally on the February 16, were given 5,000 shillings.
She adds that the former Leader of Opposition (LoP) also pulled 200,000 shillings cash and gave it to one, Geoffrey Gumodonga.
She claims that the money was used for repairing a broken down borehole, in an attempt to swing the mind of voters in his favour.
A total of 25 witnesses were lined up against Ogenga- Latigo but only 23 testified before the high court judge.
Frank Kanduho of Kanduho & Co. Advocates, the lead counsel for Okot argued that the election was not conducted in line with provision of the law.
Justice Matovu adjourned the case June 20, when lawyers both parties are expected to make oral submission. The judge also suggested he will give a date for his ruling on the petition after the oral submissions.
On the other hand, the judge threw all the 23 affidavits filed by the lawyers representing Ogenga-Latigo on the grounds that they were not filed according to the procedures.
The judge explained that the affected affidavits were dully endorsed by commissioner of oaths.
Latigo won the poll with 14,079 votes to become the first Member of Parliament for the newly created Agago North constituency. His challenger, a member of the ruling National Resistance Movement party polled 10,420 votes. Independent candidate Dr Jackson Ojera Abucu polled 1,984 votes.
