Soroti steps up security over imposters in court
The Soroti Chief Magistrate, Ms Margaret Aanyu, and Justice Henry Peter Adonyo, interact with court users on August 2, 2023. PHOTO | GEORGE MURON
What you need to know:
- Justice Henry Peter Adonyo, the Soroti Circuit resident judge, has since instructed the security at the gate to be vigilant, screen and register all people who enter court premises.
Judicial officers in Soroti District are on tension as suspected impersonators invade court premises to fleece money from court users.
The alleged impersonators, who loiter at the court premises, extort money from unsuspecting individuals with the promise of helping to influence judgments.
Justice Henry Peter Adonyo, the Soroti Circuit resident judge, has since instructed the security at the gate to be vigilant, screen and register all people who enter court premises.
Each visitor will be required to present a national identity card and register in the visitors’ book for record purposes.
“We are doing this exercise to ensure that we only have the rightful people who have come to court, who have cases and who are identifiable because we have heard that there are imposters taking advantage of the situation,” Justice Adonyo said on Friday last week.
Justice Adonyo, who was in company of the chief magistrate, Ms Margaret Aanyu, participated in verifying the categories of people who remain in court.
They questioned their clients one after the other to verify why they were in court. Those who had the attachment to court matters of the day were left to stay but the ones who had no substantive reason were chased out on.
Justice Adonyo said: “We want to sort out the chaff from the wheat. Our services are free but some imposters come here to extort money from the public.”
He added that they will continue to mount such operations routinely but randomly. He further said they will not allow idlers to continue taking advantage of the situation to abuse the image of the judiciary.
Justice Adonyo also revealed that two of the court workers, whose names he didn’t disclose, were removed from offering services over allegations of corruption.
In March, the stakeholders in Teso, while at Soroti High Court for the open court day, reported to the Deputy Chief Justice, Mr Richard Buteera, that the judicial officers were conniving with brokers to extort money from the court users.
Justice Buteera, who acknowledged that corruption and absenteeism were stifling the justice systems in the country, urged the public to report all cases of corruption.
The police spokesperson for East Kyoga, Mr Oscar Girig Ageca, said one person has so far been arrested and charged with perjury for allegedly telling lies in court.
