Court Grants Bail to Student who Harassed MP Rwabwogo with Love Messages

The High Court has released on bail Brian Isiko, a student of YMCA in Jinja who was recently convicted of sending love messages to Kabarole Woman Member of Parliament, Sylivia Rwabwogo.

High Court Judge, Jane Francis Abodo said she was satisfied with Isiko’s sureties who she said are substantial.

“The allegations of not being a first offender were not proved by the respondent and therefore his bail application succeeds,” Abodo said.

She however asked Isiko to pay a cash bond of Shs 500,000 and Shs 5 million by each of the two sureties before warning him against ever contacting MP Rwabwogo again.

“Failure to comply, you will be remanded again,” said Judge Abodo.

The judge also ordered Isiko to report to the court Deputy Registrar every third Friday of the month starting with August 17, 2018.

Isiko was last month sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for Cyber Harassment and Offensive Communication by Buganda Road grade one magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu.

Last week, Isiko, through his lawyers led by Ramathan Waiswa, asked court to release so he could attend school since he is a student.

“He is a young man whose education depends on the success of this application,” the lawyer said at the time.

The lawyers presented two sureties including Grace Reagan Muganza and Godfrey Waako arguing that Isiko is a first offender and his offences didnt include violence or threatening violence.

In July, court heard from MP Rabwogo that the accused had for a long while persistently sent her love messages and that his desire was that the two be together.

“I love you so much and want to protect you. My love is for you alone and since there is no one taking care of you, I will do it,” one of the messages sent by Isiko to the MP read.

These texts began as early as last year prior to the passing of the controversial Age Limit Amendment Bill.

The boy’s pursuance of the legislator followed an interview by one of the dailies in which the MP revealed that she was still single. When the texts persisted, a worried Sylvia reported the case to Police and they set a trap where the student was arrested.

The MP said that they were not mere love messages but that Isiko was being used by some selfish individuals in a mission to lure her (Rwabwogo) with love and kill her.