Court frustrated by two-year wait for Katosi road witness

The Anti-Corruption Court has given the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) a last adjournment to either call their last witness in the Mukono- Katosi road saga trial against Minister Abraham Byandala and others, or close the prosecution case and let court decide whether the accused persons have a corruption case to answer.

Justice Lawrence Gidudu gave a month’s ultimatum of June 27 to the case’s lead prosecutor Sarah Birungi. Birungi had informed court again that she still has one more witness Bobby Little of Eutaw Mississipi supposed to travel from America.

The prosecutor said the witness  Bobby Little from USA, has to tell court whether Eutaw Mississippi is the one that participated in the bid to rehabilitate the said road, or it formed a special purpose vehicle called Delware (Florida) that was granted the contract by UNRA.

However Defence Lawyer Peter Mulira welcomed IGG’s move to produce the said witness, saying his client Apollo Senkeeto  searched for him in the entire America but hadn’t found him.

Mulira says they also have evidence that Bobby Little was the coordinator of the two companies, Eutaw Mississipi and Eutaw Florida, and that IGG doesnt know what kind of evidence she is seeking from him as he is not going to be of any use to the prosecution case.

Justice Gidudu then ordered that if the IGG secures the statement of this witness and discoveres that it doesnt help the prosecution team, they should give the witness to the defence team.

If IGG finds witness necessary, Gidudu said they should file a formal application for audio-visual  link which has to be considered before June 27, because the said date is for IGG to either close their case or court to hear the testimony of the said witness if he manages to travel to Uganda in person.

Court also heard that efforts to secure the said witness have been in force since 2014  but the US department of Justice has not concluded his travel nor  got a statement recorded from him.