Katanga murder: Journalists blocked from accessing judge’s chambers
Ms Molly Katanga, the woman accused of killing Henry Katanga, appears at Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court where she was charged with the murder of her husband in February 2024. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA
The High Court in Kampala on June 27 blocked journalists from covering an application filed by the jailed widow of the slain businessman Henry Katanga.
Ms Molly Katanga applied to court seeking for an order compelling the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to disclose all the key evidence that they intend to use against her during the trial that is expected to start on July 2.
However when the application came up for hearing with other case files in the open court, the trial Judge Isaac Muwata declined to handle it reasoning that other court users would not understand it.
“I will handle your case from the chambers. It is a pre-hearing and there are people here in court. They will not understand this. Just give me 30mins to handle these cases then I will handle yours from the chambers,” the trial judge held.
After one and half hours of handling other case files, when journalists tried to join the team of both the state and defence lawyers in the judge’s chambers, they were blocked by the judge’s bodyguard from entering, saying it was the judge’s orders.
Through her lawyers of Kampala Associated Advocates and Tumusiime, Kabega & Co Advocates, Ms Katanga argues that on March 12, the same court ordered the DPP to disclose all the evidence that they intend to use against her.
She claims that despite the court’s directives and timelines, the office of the chief government prosecutor has made partial disclosures and yet the documents in question are not privileged and she is entitled to them.
“An order for immediate, complete and full pre-trial for immediate, complete and full pre-trial disclosure of prosecution evidence be issued against the respondent for disclosure of evidence listed in appendix A to this application,” reads in part the court documents.
The application was jointly filed by her two daughters; Ms Patricia Kakwanza and Ms Martha Nkwanza alongside their former shamba boy, Mr George Amanyire and Mr Charles Otai the medic who allegedly first responded to the gunshot on the fateful day.
