Prosecution presents evidence in Rakai school fire case
Suspects in the case of the St Benard SS, Mannya school fire are seen in the dock at Masaka High Court on March 7, 2024. PHOTO/MALIK FAHAD JJINGO
What you need to know:
- The case was adjourned to mid-March when the state is expected to start presenting its witnesses.
Prosecution has tendered in evidence for use in the trial of four people accused of torching a dormitory at St Bernard’s Secondary School, Mannya in Rakai District.
On November 11, 2018, fire gutted the Senior Three boy’s dormitory at the school, leaving 10 students dead and 36 others injured.
Appearing before Masaka High Court judge Victoria Nakintu Katamba on Thursday, chief state attorney Noah Kunya presented 50 documents which they intend to use as evidence in the case.
The documents include postmortem reports of the 10 dead students, DNA analysis reports of unidentified bodies, police forms and medical reports of student inferno survivors.
During the same pretrial session, defense lawyer Sam Ssekyewa rejected one of the documents that was submitted by prosecution- a report from the Police Ballistics Department which the court accepted.
According to an amended charge sheet, three accused students and one resident of Mannya face 48 counts, including 10 of murder, 36 of attempted murder, 1 of arson and 1 of attempted arson.
Prosecution alleges that the accused persons; Henry Taremwa ,18, a resident of Mannya Trading Centre , Rakai,(A1) ,Alex Mugarura, 18, a resident of Kihinga Village, Kasaana Sub-county in Sheema District, Dickson Kisuule, 18 , a resident of Kifamba Sub-county in Rakai District- all students at the same school plus self-employed 22-year-old Edison Niyo allias Edie,22 of Manya Trading Centre, and others that are still at large, on November 11,2018 at St Bernard’s SS killed Remigious Tamale and 9 other students in a school fire.
Still on Thursday, court also heard that the state intends to call four witnesses who are mainly police officers and medics that compiled the reports to be used as evidence in the case.
Presiding judge Nakintu noted that the case hasn’t been allocated funds but revealed that the case will be heard since it has taken long.
“Documents marked 1-49 have been agreed upon by all parties as exhibits to be used in the case and a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by all the parties and the case has to begin since court has to dispense justice in this case as soon as possible,” she told court before swearing in 3 court assessors that will be helping court in the case.
The case was adjourned to March 13, 2024 when the state is expected to start presenting its witnesses.
