Court docket Puts Molly Katanga, Four Others On Defence Over Husband’s Abolish – Xavier Radio Ug

Mr and Mrs Katanga. FILE PHOTO
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Molly Katanga and four others get to defend themselves over the death of her husband, businessman Henry Katanga, high court docket has ruled. In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Girl Justice Rosette Comfort Kania acknowledged the circumstantial proof presented by the prosecution aspects to malice aforethought and requires every of the accused persons to impress their actions.
Court docket heard that 65-year-broken-down Henry Katanga died from a gunshot distress at his home on Chwa II Road in Mbuya, Nakawa Division, on November 2, 2023. The death modified into before every thing reported as a suicide. Nonetheless, in her ruling, Justice Kania acknowledged the prosecution relied on the doctrine of last viewed, noting that easiest the deceased and his widow had been in the bedroom on the time of the taking pictures, and that Molly Katanga modified into the last individual to hunt him alive.
The take cited forensic proof inserting Molly Katanga on the centre of the incident, at the side of the presence of gunshot residue on her hands and her DNA on the pistol registered in the deceased’s name. “The accused is required to impress how she modified into attacked, yet there had been no signs of disturbance in the bedroom,” the take ruled.
The court docket extra pointed to Molly Katanga’s behavior after the taking pictures, describing it as suspicious. Proof confirmed she declined to document a police assertion despite repeated requests from investigators and easiest did so on January 10, 2024. The take acknowledged this behavior attracts an inference of responsibility. The court docket moreover stumbled on that the crime scene had been interfered with.
Proof indicated that the deceased’s body modified into removed from the marital bed, placed on a slight mattress on the ground, tied with cotton gauze, and cleaned. The alleged murder weapon modified into moreover moved. In accordance to the bloodstain pattern diagnosis presented in court docket, the scene had been tampered with, with stains presented at assorted times due to mopping and cleansing. For the period of reconstruction of the scene, one in every of the daughters, Patricia Kakwanzi, reportedly instantaneous investigators that she stumbled on her father mendacity on the bed and modified the intention of the gun.
The suspects implicated in Katanga Abolish Case exhibiting sooner than Court docket. FILE PHOTO
Martha Nkwanzi, one other daughter of Molly Katanga, modified into moreover stumbled on to get a case to acknowledge to for allegedly tampering with proof that would had been frail in the trial. The prosecution extra led proof that the accused persons allegedly tried to divert investigations by presenting the death as both a suicide or a traffic accident. At one point, it modified into reported that the widow had been desirous just a few road crash and modified into hospitalised. Family shamba boy George Amanyire and nursing officer Charles Otai had been accused of cleansing the body and making an try to radiant bloodstains in the room.
The take specifically puzzled why Amanyire allegedly carried the widow to the automobile and then returned to call the deceased for breakfast. Justice Kania ruled that although Henry Katanga died of a gunshot injure, the actions of the co-accused — at the side of the two daughters, the shamba boy, and the nursing officer — amounted to acts of being accessories after the reality of murder by allegedly destroying or concealing valuable proof to protect the indispensable suspect. “Every of the accused must give an clarification of their actions all of a sudden after the death,” Kania held.
She told the accused of their correct to give sworn testimony, affect unsworn statements, or reside restful in accordance with the Constitution. Following the ruling, defence lawyer Peter Kabatsi requested the court docket for time to hunt the advice of with his customers and organise witnesses. The case modified into adjourned to March 26, 2026, for a defence listening to. The prosecution team involves Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Samalie Wakooli and Chief Dispute Attorneys Jonathan Muwaganya and Anna Kiiza.
Used Deputy Lawyer Identical old Mwesigwa Rukutana, alongside Brian Rubaihayo and Edgar Ayebazibwe, is representing the interests of the deceased’s household on a looking at transient.
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