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KAMPALA – The murder trial of Kampala businessman Henry Katanga, currently underway at the Kampala High Court, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, July 10, as discrepancies in call data records raised questions about the credibility of the testimony of a key prosecution witness.
Timothy Nyangweso, a presenter for Uganda Broadcasting Service (UBC), Uganda’s national broadcaster, and pastor of the Watoto Church, took the stand but defence lawyers were quick to question his credibility, pointing out that he lied several times in a recording claiming he had called one of the late Katanga’s daughters on the day of the incident.
Wednesday’s developments sparked a heated debate in court, with the defense team seizing on inconsistencies to challenge the prosecution’s account.
The evidence presented by the defence contradicted the testimony of witness Timothy Nyangweso, a cousin of the late Henry Katanga.
Nyangweso had previously testified that he called Katanga’s daughter, Martha, on November 2 and claimed that she told him about Katanga’s death.
However, during cross-examination, the call data list produced by defence lawyer Elison Karuhanga showed no record of Nyangweso’s number.
The following is a transcript of the cross-examination:
Kaluhanga asked: “You said you called Martha on November 2, can you confirm this?”
Nyangweso responded: “Yes, I called her at about 8:30 in the morning.”
Kaluhanga asked: “Is your number on the call data list?”
Nyangweso responded: “No, it’s not there.”
Kaluhanga pressed: “But you insist you called her?”
“Yes, I called her twice and she answered the phone the third time,” Nyangweso insisted.
Kaluhanga pointed out, “But your number is not on the list. How do you explain that?”
“I don’t know, but I called her,” Nyangweso admitted.
The defense attorney further questioned Nyangweso about his statement and pointed out that his phone number was not included in the statement.
“You signed the statement but it doesn’t have your number on it. How can we verify your claim?” Kaluhanga asked.
Nyangweso responded: “I didn’t put my phone number in the statement, but I called Martha.”
Kaluhanga asked incredulously, “Do you expect us to believe that?”
“Yes, I am telling the truth,” Nyangweso insisted.
The exchange highlighted inconsistencies in Nyangweso’s testimony and raised questions about the reliability of the prosecution’s evidence. The defense has long maintained that the prosecution’s case is based on unreliable witness testimony, and the call data evidence further undermines their argument.
The defence team insists that Molly Katanga was the victim of the incident that led to the death of her husband on November 2, 2023, and she is on trial along with her daughters Patricia Kankwanzi and Martha Nkwanzi on charges of destroying evidence, while her family’s Chamba boy George Amaniye and doctor Charles Otey are also charged as accessories to the murder.
The trial has been adjourned to Friday, July 12, with the possibility of an adjournment for a month if the prosecution is not ready to proceed.
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