It’s judgment day for Desh Kananura

KAMPALA- The High Court in Kampala is today expected to pass its judgment that will determine the fate of city businessman

Desh starts defence against murder today

Businessman Andrew Kananura alias Desh is today expected to defend himself, against murder charges

who is accused of murdering his employee Badru Kateregga at Panamera Bar located at Naguru, Kampala.

Court has two options to either convict him of the murder charges that attract a maximum penalty of death by hanging or acquit the suspect.

Further, court has an option of lessening his murder charges to man slaughter that attracts a life imprisonment sentence on conviction.

The judgment is expected to be read out by trial judge Joseph Murangira at 2pm.

Last week, two court assessors Mr Robert Kabureta and Ms Rehema Babirye, in their joint lay man’s opinion, advised court to find Kananura not guilty of murdering his employee on grounds that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against him.

The assessors also advised court to acquit the accused on grounds that most of the prosecution witnesses, who testified against them, were basing their testimony on mere hearsay.

Equally, the court assessors advised court to acquit Kananura’s co-accused including his brother Raymond Kananura and two of their co-accused Cyrus Maganda and Samuel Muzolewa.

Legally, assessors’ opinion is not binding to court because the trial judge can either agree with their advice or depart from it.

However, these assessors called for the conviction of the fifth suspect, Jacob Onyango.

The assessors explained that this was after the deceased died in his presence and that he even saw the suspects running away from the scene of crime.

Its prosecution’s case that on September 30,2012, the accused and others still at large, while at Panamera Bar beat and killed Kateregga, a bar attendant, over Shs30,000 which the deceased had received as a tip from a customer.