I sent love messages to MP Rwabwogo to befriend her, says Isiko in his appeal

Brian Isiko, a student who was recently convicted of sending love messages to Kabarole Woman Member of Parliament, Sylivia Rwabwogo has defended his actions in the High Court.

Isiko, 25, a student at YMCA Jinja branch was in July sentenced to two years imprisonment after being convicted of Cyber Harassment and Offensive Communication for sending love messages to the legislator but later applied for bail pending his appeal in the High Court.

Recently, Rwabwogo said she did not regret getting Isiko imprisoned because the “young boy” was trying to lure her into a trap in order to get killed.

On Wednesday, the High Court in Kampala started hearing his appeal and thhrough his lawyer, Ramathan Waiswa, Isiko admitted sending love messages to the legislator but said  he did not have any ill intentions against the legislator but only to befriend her.

“The conviction was uncalled for   because he  sent the love messages thinking it was an easier way of befriending  and seeking guidance  from the MP and not necessarily to  harass or harm her,”Waiswa said on Wednesday.

He faulted Buganda road grade one magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu of changing his plea of not guilty to a plea of guilty without following the prescribed procedure in the law.

To prove this assertion,  Isiko’s lawyer  reproduced the record of  the lower court where he admitted  downloading MP Rwabwogo's contact from the parliamentary website and expressed his freedom of speech   through sending her  love messages  that he had  picked  from  love songs and poems of American celebrities including Don Williams and Enrique Iglesias .

He said it was this elaborate explanation of his actions that court mistakenly took as his admission of offenses on June 20.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2018/07/06/student-sentenced-to-2-years-for-expressing-love-to-kabarole-woman-mp/

Isiko also faulted the lower court for convicting him on charges of cyber harassment and offensive communication basing on inadequate pieces of evidence.

“There is no single love message or phone call that is rude, obscene or indecent tendered in court by MP Rwabogo as originating from Isiko. The magistrate therefore acted unreasonable to convict him of offensive communication, “Wasiwa told court.

He faulted Buganda Road court for failure to treat Isiko as a first offender whose actions had caused no harm of injury to MP Rwabwogo but   handed him a harsh and excessive sentence asking the court to reduce his two year jail term to a fine.

The State Attorney, Joanita Tumwishirize however said that the two counts were audibly read to Isiko before he pleaded guilty.

She insisted that if there were any irregularities observed during Isiko’s trial process in the lower court, the High Court should order for a re-trial instead of setting him free.

Justice Jane Francis Abodo has set 25 September as the day to deliver her ruling on whether to quash Isiko’s conviction or not.

Isiko, 25, a student at YMCA, Jinja branch is currently out on bail.