It was an incredible scene, somewhat dramatic, like you're in a theatre hall. It all happened that a 34 year old man, Jimmy Oteng, a resident of Otuke of the Lango sub-region in Northern Uganda appeared in court wearing the clothes allegedly owned by the presiding Magistrate.
Apparently shocked by what he was witnessing, the Magistrate, Mr Benjamin Seruru immediately adjourned the case to recover from the shock. The Grade One Judge had earlier on May 24 set free the accused after being remanded at the Otuke Government Prison for stealing a bag of simsim as alleged. That was in November 2018.
However, because the complainant failed to show up and testify against the suspect, Seruru dismissed the case.
A day after his release by the Judge, Oteng allegedly broke into the home of the Magistrate and stole his property. He went away with a suitcase containing four pairs of suits and other clothes, two 20 litre jerrycans of water, which he thought was cooking oil and other valuables.
He has since been arrested after seen by local hunters inside a bush, where he had gone into hiding.
"We found him soaked in the water and we became suspicious when we saw a big suitcase near him and other items heaped together. So, we alerted the Police since information had spread in the area that some people had broken into the house of the Magistrate and prison staff where some properties were stolen", Mike Dukullo a local hunter said.
The accused was said to have worn one of Mr Seruru's shirt when he approached the Judge.
He will now be re-arraigned in court on June 11. Hopefully by then, the Magistrate would have recovered from the shock.
Header Image Credit: myuganda.co.ug