Former Oyam North Member of Parliament, Mr Krispus Ayena Odongo has been remanded to Lira Central Prison for failure to pay Shs146 million to his opponent Col (Rtd) Charles Okello Engola Macodwogo court costs from the 2016 parliamentary election

The city lawyer appeared before the Assistant Registrar of the High Court in Lira, Ms Jeneva Natukunda, on Friday after he was arrested by agents of Spearlink Auctioneers and Court Bailiffs on Thursday.

Mr Ayena is the lead counsel for former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander, Dominic Ongwen, who is currently facing war crimes trial at The Hague-based International Criminal Court.

Trouble for Ayena stemmed from an electoral petition which he had filed against Col (RTD) Charles Okello Engola, the State Minister for Defense and General Duties.

Ayena contested to retained his then position and lost to Engola who was later dragged to Lira High Court challenging Okello’s academic qualification .

The ruling followed a successful petition by Uganda Peoples Congress’ Ayena Odongo who had been beaten in election by Okello Engola of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party by a big margin of 5,989 votes.

Lira High Court subsequently overturned Okello’s election on ground that he did not posses the requisite academic qualification, a decision that was again quashed by the Court of Appeal.

Later awarding Okello about 146 million shillings cost.

Mr Ayena did not pay the money leading to his arrest on Thursday.

Appearing before the court on Friday, Mr Ayena’s lawyers argued that the said debt be reduced by 50 per cent (about Shs73 million) because some law was flouted while calculating the costs, and indeed, the plea was granted.

Natukunda making her ruling ordered that Ayena to pay 73 million shillings to secure his release or serve 6months in prison

On Friday evening, he was committed to Lira Cenral Government Prison by the Lira High Court Assistant Registrar, Jenevieve Natukunda.