Kilak North MP, Anthony Akol has denied punching his Aruu County counterpart, Odonga Otto, saying he only slapped him.
Akol on Thursday told journalists that he was provoked by Otto, who after expressing his grievances, started hurling insults at him.
“Even after explaining, he went ahead and started abusing me instead. He even kicked my knee. I had nothing else to do but to return a slap as a defence. Not evening boxing him. I’m heavy weight and if I had boxed him, he would be down. When he kicked my left knee, I had to just defend myself. He picked a chair and wanted to hit me before members (MPs) came and stopped him. That was it. It was no big deal. I don’t think it was a serious issue. If he goes to court, I will have to defend myself,” Mr Akol told NTV.
According to reports, the two lawmakers were engaged in altercation at Parliament before it deteriorated into a physical fight.
It originated from claims that Otto was telling Akol’s voters to eject him from the House for selling their land in Amuru to government.
According to NTV, the two legislators charged at each other as Akol was escorting a group of his electorates that had just visited him at Parliament.
Okin PP Ojara, the Acholi Parliamentary Group Chairperson, said they will sit down and try to resolve the matter between the two lawmakers.
“We have been saying, time and again, that we should not confront each other or go to each other’s constituency during campaigns or talk ill against one another because we are one and we were sent to Parliament by the Acholi people to deliberate on matters that concern them.”
