Judge rejects call to adjourn bomb trial
Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo
What you need to know:
To his guns. Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo turns down request by prosecution for a week to call in American security experts to testify in the case
Kampala.
Mr Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, the presiding judge in the on-going Kampala twin bombing trial, was irked by the prosecution that had asked for a week’s adjournment to enable them re-organise their witnesses.
The judge was irritated after Senior Principal State Attorney Susan Okalany informed court that American FBI officers, who were expected to testify against the suspects next week, won’t be coming, hence requesting for the whole of next week to re-organise themselves and summon new witnesses.
But this development did not go down well with the judge.
“So you want this court to wait for the Americans and act on their tunes. Supposing they don’t come, do you want this court to sit forever?” Mr Owiny-Dollo asked the prosecution.
The judge added: “ ln this trial, there are various categories of people, the accused who are entitled to an expeditious trial, the victims who want to know whether its these accused who hurt them and the general public that is eager to know the outcome of this trial.”
“If you can’t prove your case against these suspects, then we should let them go back home”.
Mr Caleb Alaka, the lead defence lawyer, agreed with the judge. In response, Ms Okalany lamented of how she had earlier confided in the judge about the hitches she was facing with the local witnesses who don’t want to come to court and testify, fearing for their life.
Ms Okalany added that scenes-of-crime police officers could not testify since some of the exhibits that they would have presented to court were sealed by American bomb experts.
Judge insists
However, upon the judge’s insistence, Ms Okalany said she will summon new witnesses next Tuesday.
To that effect, the hearing of the case resumes next week.
Earlier in the day, a prosecution witness testified. Mr Ismail Kizito, 53, an accountant with Biashara Forex Bureau in Kampala, was to give evidence on earlier claims that the forex bureau was used to transfer money to one of the alleged bomb detonators, Edris Nsubuga, a week after the bombing.
Mr Kizito said the money was sent from Mombasa to Nsubuga, who by then was based in Kampala, on three occasions.
The witness said the sender of the money was Moses Huku. But basing on earlier prosecution witnesses, it was established that Issa Luyima, a suspect in the ongoing trial, is the one who impersonated as Moses.
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