NRM accuses woman remanded for slapping traffic officer of impersonation
Mercy Timbitwire (L) and her co-accused Benardine Abangire (R) in the dock at Nakawa Chief Magistrate's Court on October 21, 2024 after they were arrested on charges of assault (inset) and mobile phone robbery. PHOTO/ COURTESY OF POLICE ON X
What you need to know:
- Ms Timbitwire, whose court records indicate she’s a public relations officer in the office of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) secretariat appeared in court on Monday and was charged with assault and robbery of two mobile phones and an EPS printing machine
- In a separate case file, Timbitwire was charged alongside Benardine Abangire, 34, an administrator at Berger rite Holdings Limited with robbery and assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty.
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) on Tuesday accused Ms Mercy Timbitwire Bashisha of impersonation after she was on Monday remanded to prison following a viral video recording that showed her slapping a traffic officer on duty.
Ms Timbitwire who, according to court records, identified herself as a 38-year-old public relations officer at the office of the NRM secretariat is accused of assault and robbery of mobile phones and an EPS printing machines from a traffic officer.
“We would like to clarify that Ms. Bashisha is neither a PRO nor a staff at the NRM Secretariat. As a matter of fact, she has never been a staff of the Secretariat and is unknown to us.…We do not condone the reckless acts by Ms. Bashisha including inter alia, assaulting a law enforcement officer while on official duty; and we are glad that the law is taking its due course,” reads a Tuesday statement issued by NRM secretariat directorate of information, publicity & public relations before adding that the party's legal team was following up with the police to establish the motive before instituting a formal complaint about this impersonation.
“We have even consulted district NRM offices but she is not connected anywhere to NRM office. I don’t know why she is using NRM. Maybe she has her own motive,” Mr Rogers Mulindwa, the NRM communication officer, told this reporter in a follow up interview.
According to Mr Mulindwa, NRM officials are yet to talk to the suspect.
Ms Timbitwire was on Monday arraigned before the Nakawa Court Chief Magistrate Elias Kakooza where she denied the charges.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution states that Timbitwire on October 18, 2024 at about 1200hours at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) on New Port Bell Road in Kampala District was intercepted driving a Toyota land cruiser, Registration Number UBM 439T recklessly by using a hand held mobile phone while driving and failing to comply with the directives given verbally by a police officer in uniform when she refused to stop.
The state further told court that Timbitwire at Lugogo on Kampala-Jinja highway drove a car without any insurance prescribed by law for that use.
In a separate case file, Timbitwire was charged alongside Benardine Abangire, 34, an administrator at Berger rite Holdings Limited with robbery and assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty.
Prosecution states that the duo on October 18, at UMA show ground Nakawa Division in Kampala robbed NO.63061 PC Charles Makawa of his two mobile phones valued at Shs800,000 and EPS printer machine valued at Shs14 million, the property of Uganda Police Force and at or immediately before or immediately after the time of the said robbery assaulted the officer.
The duo denied the charges. However, the magistrate remanded the duo until November 4 for hearing of their bail application.
