Dr Onzivua case file goes missing
Renowned pathologist Dr Sylvester Onzivua. PHOTO/ FILE
What you need to know:
- Dr Ozivua claims that after the death of Nebanda, as a senior pathologist/ consultant at Mulago Hospital, he was appointed by the then Speaker of Parliament to join a team of pathologists to offer professional services to carry out a post-mortem examination of the deceased.
The file for a case in which renowned pathologist Dr Sylvester Onzivua is challenging the legality of his 2012 arrest has gone missing from the Attorney General’s office.
Dr Onzivua was arrested at Entebbe International Airport while on his way to South Africa in possession of former Butaleja District Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda’s body parts. He was charged with abuse of office and conspiracy to unlawfully obtain the body parts of the former MP.
In 2013, he was acquitted and he sued the government for unlawful arrest and detention, malicious prosecution, special damages, exemplary damages, general damages in billions, and costs of the suit.
When the case was brought for hearing before the head of the Civil Division of the High Court Musa Ssekaana yesterday, the State Attorney, Ms Jackie Amusugut, stunned the court when she said the case file was missing.
“I have a challenge, my lord, I do not have the file with me, I only have the reference (number). We are trying to locate it and I intend to get a copy from the court file. We need to have consistency,” Ms Amusugut said.
In response, Justice Ssekaana said: “This is an old file from 2015. I am giving you the last adjournment. It is only juicy files involving compensation money that go missing. The man is here to enforce his human rights. You can have the court file and photocopy whatever you want,” he said.
“The case is adjourned to April 16 for mention,” Justice Ssekaana said.
Dr Onzivua is, among others, seeking special damages that include travel costs to the court, police and legal fees of Shs100m, earnings lost from the master’s degree sponsorship amounting to Australian Dollars70,000 (Shs177.3 million), earnings lost in the form of upkeep from Nuffic (a Dutch organisation), €14,645 (Shs61.6m), research opportunity worth $328,000 (Shs1.3b) and $98,539 (Shs380.5m) from a United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) consultancy in Zimbabwe.
Dr Ozivua claims that after the death of Nebanda, as a senior pathologist/ consultant at Mulago Hospital, he was appointed by the then Speaker of Parliament to join a team of pathologists to offer professional services to carry out a post-mortem examination of the deceased.
The legislator’s death was suspected to have been caused by multiple organ failure as a result of alcohol.
