Septic tank murder case trial starts

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The trial of senior accountant Francis Onebe, 63, who is accused of murdering his wife and disposing of her body in a septic tank at their home in Muyenga began in the high court on Tuesday. Onabe is being tried alongside his security guard, Bonny Oriekot, for the murder of his wife, Immaculate Mary Blessing Aiso, in 2021.

The duo appeared before Judge Micheal Elubu and pleaded not guilty to the charges after spending two years in prison due to their failure to secure bail. During the trial, the prosecution presented its first witness, Richard Ambayo, a Police surgeon from the City Mortuary in Kampala.

Ambayo informed the court that on September 9, 2021, he conducted an examination on a body brought to the mortuary, which was later identified as that of the deceased. He stated that when the body arrived on September 8, 2021, it had three bricks attached to the chest using a wire, placed inside a white sack.

The body was decomposing with the head and part of the neck detached, and some areas had exposed bones due to the peeling off of soft tissue. Ambayo testified that during the examination, five out of seven bones of the neck were found, and the victim’s head exhibited fractures on the skull. Based on the examination, it was concluded that the cause of death was a head injury resulting from blunt force trauma.

The witness stated that the injury could have been caused by a blunt object such as a hammer, axe, or the corner of a brick. Additionally, Ambayo mentioned that the victim was identified as female based on her external genitalia and the clothing she was wearing, including a nicker and petty coat typically associated with females.

The body was officially identified as that of Aiso after tissue samples from various parts of the body were tested and found to match samples from the deceased’s daughter. The trial continues today with more witnesses, including the scene the crime officer, and the investigating officer.

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