Court acquits Uganda oppn leader

Due to lack of adequate evidence, a court has acquitted Kizza Besigye, a runner-up in the Feb presidential polls, of a rape charge.

A high court on Tuesday acquitted Kizza Besigye, Uganda's main opposition leader and runner-up in the February's presidential elections, of the rape charge he faced, saying the evidence produced by the government was inadequate.

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Justice John Bosco Katutsi said in an hour-long ruling that the evidence produced by the police director of criminal investigations against retired army colonel Besigye to the effect that he raped and infected a woman under his care with HIV-AIDS in 1997 had "no scintilla of evidence".

Besigye, who returned from exile last year to contest the Feb 23 general elections, was arrested and charged with rape, treason and terrorism in the military and civilian courts shortly after his return.