Anthony Natif notes from court: Uganda VD Molly Katanga and Others 8/October/2024

SPECIAL REPORT | ANTHONY NATIF | As recorded in court, in the case Uganda VD Molly Katanga and Others 8/October/2024 via @TonyNatif

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• On Tuesday, the defense started cross examination of Naome Nyangweso, widow of celebrated Ugandan boxer, politician and sports administrator Maj. Gen. Francis Nyangweso. She’s a sister to the deceased, Henry Katanga, coz they share a mother.Their fathers are first cousins. Their family comes from Ankole royalty. Henry Katanga’s father, the late Arthur Edwin Katanga & the Late Prince John Barigye were siblings.
• At certain moments, court looked like a messy fight for the estate of a deceased Ankole royal, with the defense, led by @KAAdvocates @jet_tumwebaze, accusing the witness of wanting to have her brother’s family (wife & two daughters) locked up on murder charges so she can benefit from his estate.

Other main issues of contention

• Did the @ODPPUGANDA charge Mrs Molly Katanga with murder without statements from the complainant and certainly without her own statement?
• Was the police involved in telling the complainant, Naome, how to write her statements? She did admit to being told what to write, in court.
• Why were two of the three statements she made recorded in a bar in Bugolobi and not at the @PoliceUg station?
• Did the late Henry Katanga ever tell his sister that he was worried his wife was going to kill him or did he just say “she was dangerous”?
• How many times did they meet btn the time their daughter, Patricia (also charged) had her Kuhingira on 21/Oct/2023 & the time he died on 2/Nov/2023?
• How many times did he call his sister? The call logs indicate a much lower number than the sister had testified in court. Was she lying?
• Why did Naome take more than three hours to show up to her brother’s home after she received a distress call?
• Why was everyone who responded to the distress call from the shamba boy including the paramedic charged by the @ODPPUGANDA? Shamba boy too.

We shall share the proceedings verbatim.

• 10 am- Court is packed. Lawyers carry books into court. They shuffle in & out of court. The witness is in court, sat at the back with her family & friends. It’s a pensive mood.
• Former Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana, on watching brief, is pacing between his seat at the front of the court and the prosecution desk.
• 10:31 am-policemen in black, shuffle in and out of court. Chairs are moved around. It’s a beehive of activity.
• The assessors are all in court, sitting to the right of the Judge’s chair.
• Judge hasn’t yet showed up.
• 10:36-Justice Isaac Muwata enters court.
• All stand.
• Samali Wakholi, for the prosecution, stands up and says: “My Lord, we appear for the prosecution”, goes ahead to introduced her team.
• Says “co-accused are in court. A1 (Molly Katanga) is appearing via Zoom from Luzira”. The screen beams an image of Molly Katanga in a flowery blue top, head covered. She has a prisons guard by her side.Wakholi powers ahead: “Representation as before. On watching brief, SC Rukutana & Ms Muhumuza Ivy. The accused are jointly represented by SC Peter Kabatsi, MacDusman Kavega, Jet Tumwebaze, Elison Karuhanga and Janat Nabaggala. Matter comes up for cross examination, we are ready to proceed.”
• Judge asks if the defense is ready to proceed.
• Former DPP (1986-1999), SC Peter Kabatsi, says: “yes my Lord, we are ready to proceed even without some documents we asked for. We shall cede some ground on that”.
• He says: “Mr Jet Tumwebaze will start then Mr Kabega will follow”.
• New translator takes oath.
• Jet Tumwebaze, looking all business, stands up with a pile of papers in his hand and says: May it please you my Lord, for the record, I’m Jet Tumwebaze and I’ll ask the questions today.
• And thus starts the Cross Examination…
• Jet: Mrs Nyangweso, it was your evidence in chief that you recorded three statements before the police. Is that so?
• Yes, my Lord.
• Jet: And you recorded all those three statements in English.
• I recorded them in Runyankore & they were translated into English.
• Do we have them before court?

Uganda VD Molly Katanga and Others
8/October/2024

Yesterday, the defense started cross examination of Mrs Naome Nyangweso, widow of celebrated Ugandan boxer, politician& sports administrator Maj. Gen. Francis Nyangweso.

She’s a sister to the deceased, Henry Katanga, coz they… https://t.co/jueG3TkgvG pic.twitter.com/yugMCOXYn5

— Anthony Natif (@TonyNatif) October 9, 2024