Lawyers petition DPP over Katanga murder probe
The late Henry Katanga with his wife Molly. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Katanga died on November 2 following an alleged fight with his wife in their bedroom. His body was later found by police placed on a small mattress in a living room.
Lawyers representing the widow of slain businessman Henry Katanga on Tuesday registered petitioned the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), alleging poor handling of the investigations by the police.
The lawyers of Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA) claimed some of the police officers handling the Katanga murder file, with ill motives, were releasing information to a section of media houses.
“Our clients have seen several media stories about the death of their father/ husband. The media reports are awash with findings that could be as a result of accessing the police file. It is therefore, on the basis that we have been asked to complain to you about the way this investigation is being conducted,” reads in part Ms Molly’s lawyers’ letter, a copy of which has been seen by this reporter.
Katanga died on November 2 following an alleged fight with his wife in their bedroom. His body was later found by police placed on a small mattress in a living room.
His widow’s lawyers further claimed their client (Molly) has since undergone multiple surgeries following the severe wounds she sustained during the fight.
“What is also deliberately left out of all that is said in the above smear campaign, is that Molly Katanga sustained multiple injuries after severe blows to the head and several defense wounds on her hands,” the lawyers state.
Adding: “As a result, Molly Katanga has undergone multiple surgeries. Molly Katanga’s hand injuries were so severe that the doctors have amputated one of her fingers on the right hand having tried to save it in two previous surgeries.”
The lawyers cited a story about an inquest application filed by one Barnabas Taremwa in the High Court that alleges that Molly Katanga’s finger marks" were found on the gun.
They argue that such allegations can only be logical only if Mr Taremwa was granted special access to police files.
The lawyers further accused Mr Taremwa of having access to police files regarding the CCTV obtained from their clients’ premises, wondering how Barnabas knows the contents of the CCTV files which were only meant to be in possession of the police.
The lawyers want the chief government prosecutor to cause an investigation to establish who is behind the leaks by the police on the Katanga murder police file.
They also want the DPP to carry out a further analysis on any forensics report which could have been leaked to Mr Barnabas Taremwa.
When this publication contacted Ms Jacquelyn Okui, the spokesperson of the office of the DPP on what the way forward about the complaint, she briefly said: “the complaint has been received by the office and it’s with the DPP for consideration.”
Katanga was reportedly found dead in his bedroom and his wife, Molly, was immediately whisked away and reportedly admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at International Hospital (IHK), where she remains to-date.
She is expected to plead to murder charges on December 4 after Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court issued criminal summons against her, later Tuesday.
