OYAM, UGANDA: Simon Peter Oceng, a journalist based at Shine FM radio in Oyam Town Council has filed a legal suit demanding shs 20 million from a pair of NRM activists who allegedly assaulted him after hosting a political talk show.
Oceng in an interview with DailyExpress narrated an ordeal on how he was beaten by one Stalon Olong, Chairperson Oyam Town Council Business Community at around 10 pm on Tuesday after the NRM talk show on Shine Fm.
It all started when Philips Ogile, the NRM publicity entered the studio at the time Oceng was on air for his Shine Like A Star Show and began accusing Oceng of playing a campaign song for the UPC flag bearer ahead of the NRM talk show.
However, after the talk show, the guests who participated in the NRM discussion got out and started harassing Oceng at Shine Fm Radio, and from nowhere, Stalon Olong reportedly appeared and started slapping Oceng several times, leading to tension within the station.
Oceng claims that Olong got off from nowhere with some unknown and attack him, leaving him with bodily injuries which he is currently treating.
“The assault was not ordered by any NRM official but they willingly fought me on their own,” he said, adding that he has lined up a team of two lawyers from the Human Right Network for Journalists (HRNJ) for further legal management of the issue as police investigate the case further.
READ ALSO: Police probe assault of journalist by NRM activists in Oyam
James Chris Woo, the Chairperson of Oyam Journalist Association condemned the assault, labelling it as an attack on journalistic freedom and people’s right, which need urgent attention by human rights actors.
Stalon Olong the accused assaulter of the journalist dismissed the allegation saying he slept in Iceme Sub County on the day that the incident allegedly happened and wasn’t part of the chaos at the station.
By press time the matter has reliably been tabled to the Human right and has been forwarded again to the attention of HRNJ for a proper legal redress on the two people who are alleged to have assaulted the radio personality.
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