Court declines to grant Nagirinya murder suspect Shs50m to summon witnesses
Copriam Kasolo, the key suspect in the murder of Maria Naggirinya and her driver Ronald Kitayimbwa, stands in the dock at High Court in Kampala on May 16, 2023. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Court also ordered the prison authorities to relocate one of the suspects Hassan Kiseka, from Luzira to another prison facility after he expressed fears that his life was in danger following threats from his co-accused
Court has declined to give Shs50m to one of the suspects in the murder case of social worker Maria Nagirinya, to advertise summons to his five witnesses across mass media.
The key suspect Copriam Kasolo, a former shoe hawker in Nateete, Rubaga Division who previously defended himself on the allegations of kidnap and murder of Nagirinya and her driver Ronald Kitayimbwa, had reasoned that he did not know where to find his witnesses although they used to work together.
However, the High Court Judge Isaac Muwata Tuesday held that Kasolo did not indicate to the magistrate’s court at Mengo that he desired to call the said witnesses.
“There is no legal basis for the claim. All that is required is the court to summon witnesses that were named during the committal of the accused person. If the said money was to be expended in the process that would still be in the domain of the court, not the accused person,” he ruled.
Court also ordered the prison authorities to relocate one of the suspects Hassan Kiseka, from Luzira to another prison facility after he expressed fears that his life was in danger following threats from his co-accused.
He becomes the second suspect to be relocated after one Nassif Kalyango was also relocated on the same grounds.
During the same session, the prosecution expressed concerns that the defence counsel, Mr Julius Sserwambala, should not represent all the accused due to contradicting evidence presented.
“You are having two clients giving conflicting evidence, how are you going to represent them, the law does not allow this. Since you took through accused number two with his evidence, these two must have a separate legal presentation,” Justice Muwata ruled, before adjourning to June 22 for further hearing.
Other suspects are Johnson Lubega alias Manomano Rasta, Sadat Katerega and Sharif Mpanga. The accused face six counts of murder, kidnap and aggravated robbery.
Prosecution led by Mr Jonathan Muwaganya and Timothy Emerit alleges that on August 28, 2019, the accused and others still at large, at Nabisasiro zone in Rubaga and Mukono District kidnapped Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa and murdered them.
The suspects also allegedly used violence to rob Nagirinya of her motor vehicle, mobile phone and Shs260,000 cash.
