Mulago suspends pathologist Onzivua
The suspended Dr Onzivua
What you need to know:
Mulago Hospital boss says Dr Onzivua can only have his job back after the case against him, over his role in the Nebanda death saga, is resolved.
The pathologist, who was arrested and charged over his involvement in the Cerinah Nebanda death investigation saga, Dr Silvestre Onzivua, has been interdicted by his employer, Mulago National Referral Hospital.
The hospital’s executive director, Dr Biteraba Byarugaba, has suspended Dr Onzivua from service pending the conclusion of the criminal case against him.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Dr Onzivua, a toxicological pathologist, said although he was yet to receive a letter to that effect, he had been informed by Dr Byarugaba of his interdiction.
“I have not yet seen the letter, but the hospital director has informed me that the rules stipulate that when a civil servant has a criminal case, he should be interdicted,” Dr Onzivua said.
According to the Public Service standing orders, interdiction is temporary removal of a public officer from exercising his or her duties while an investigation into alleged misconduct is being carried out.
An interdiction on a criminal case that involves the police and courts stands for six months.
“Where an officer is interdicted, the Responsible Officer shall ensure that investigations are done expeditiously in any case within three months for cases that do not involve the police and courts and six months for cases that involve the police and courts of law,” the standing order states in part.
Dr Onzivua is out on bail following his arrest at the Entebbe International Airport, as he was about to travel to South Africa to take samples from Nebanda’s body for an independent toxicological analysis to establish the cause of death.
He had reportedly been hired by Parliament.
He has since been charged in Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court with conspiracy to commit a felony.
Seven doctors who handled the postmortem had agreed to have two sets of toxicological analyses carried out to determine the inflammable substance identified during the initial examination.
However, the second sample in Dr Onzivua’s possession was confiscated during his arrest.
The government claims that the pathologist and the MPs had no authority to take samples from the body.
An official autopsy report that the government says was done in the United Kingdom revealed traces of alcohol and narcotics in the 24-year-old MP’s body. However, her fellow MPs claim her death was suspicious, attributing it to possible poisoning.
Nebanda allegedly collapsed at a friend’s house on December 14, at 7pm, and was taken to Mukwaya General Hospital at Nsambya, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Speaking in a church in Arua Town yesterday, Dr Onzivua told worshippers that he was confident the “truth will set me free” in his present predicament triggered by his involvement in investigations to establish the cause of Nebanda’s death.
The pathologist also used the moment to turn to God.
“I’m glad that I was arrested on a journey in the quest to find out the truth,” he said, “Despite all the tribulations I am going through, I find peace in Christ; I have confidence in the Lord and that is what has given me strength and confidence to-date,” he told the worshippers.
Additional reporting by Clement Aluma
