By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The High Court on Wednesday granted the prosecution’s request to amend the charges against four individuals implicated in the alleged murder of businessman Henry Katanga on November 2 2023.
During the hearing, Judge Isaac Muwata’s decision faced objections from the defence team but ultimately allowed the trial to proceed, requiring the accused to respond to the new charges.
Ms. Molly Katanga, charged on the first day of the high-profile trial with her husband’s murder denied the charges and thus pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutor Samali Wakooli sought to amend the charges and include new ones against Ms. Katanga’s daughters, Patricia Kankwanzi and Martha Nkwanzi, Dr. Charles Otai, a nursing officer and George Amanyire, a domestic worker at the deceased’s residence.
However, the defence team, led by Peter Kabasi, opposed the amendments, citing Section 50(2) of the Trial on Indictment Act (TIA) noting that the new charges were not disclosed during the committal phase and that their introduction would cause prejudice and injustice to the accused, who were unprepared to defend against them.
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In response, Judge Muwata ruled that the court has the discretion to alter the indictment if necessary for the case adding that the evidence had been disclosed at trial, so the accused would not be prejudiced by the amendments. Consequently, the court allowed the changes and ordered the accused to enter their pleas.
Background Of The Case
According to prosecution, Molly Katanga, with malice aforethought, killed her husband on November 2 at Mbuya, Chwa 2, in Nakawa Division, with the help of their daughter Martha Nkwanzi.
Furthermore, on the same day, their daughters (Nkwanzi and Patricia Kakwanza) are accused of removing or destroying potential evidence at the crime scene, with the intention of preventing its use in judicial proceedings.
Unlike Molly Katanga who is still on remand, her daughters and other suspects including Dr. Charles Otai, a nursing officer and George Amanyire, a domestic worker at the deceased’s residence were remanded to Luzira Prison and later granted bail on 24 February 2024.
The incident happened after an alleged misunderstanding with his wife whom he worked with at their procurement and supplies firm called MERGE which had penetrated the system and would transact with government agencies with huge classified budgets.
A police report referenced SD21/02/11/2023 at Bugolobi police station indicates that Katanga was shot at close range and that no bullets and fragments were recovered after Katanga’s body which was delivered at the city mortuary on November 2.
The report further indicates that Katanga’s body was wrapped in a mattress cover, stuffed in a vehicle, and transported to Mulago hospital mortuary.
The details of who moved the body remain a subject of ongoing police investigations.
Police said it retrieved a pistol number UG1622200061CZ99 compact that is suspected to have been used in the commission of the crime.
Shortly after his death, inside sources revealed that Katanga was allegedly murdered hours before he appended his signature on a WILL that he had prepared a week earlier and kept it in a safe box inside his office.
Sources further noted that Katanga had prepared the necessary paperwork documenting all his wealth and had only shared that secret with his sister, Naome Nyangweso and his lawyer.
At the time of his death, another source within the family revealed that Katanga had just made a transaction of shs16 billion.
“Besides working with Molly, he had other different lines of making his own money including money lending. He had so far gotten shs16 billion,” a source who preferred anonymity revealed at the time.
Katanga had been taking care of a number of orphans of his dead siblings and loved them as his own children including the two children of his sister Naome; Timothy Nyangweso and Marjorie Nyangweso.
Relatives highly anticipate that Katanga was planning to distribute all his property equally in a WILL among his biological children and other orphans which could have annoyed whoever pulled the trigger to end his life.
“The plan was to kill him that very day because there was no time to wait since he was planning to leave home and sign the papers,” another relative said.
According to Naome, Katanga’s lawyer was aware of the death threats that his client was facing and his death did not surprise him that is why he(Katanga) was racing against time to finish the WILL which was never a success.
While as Katanga could have prepared and signed the WILL a little earlier, he was busy with arrangements for giveaway and wedding functions for his foster daughter Patricia alias Tricia for over two weeks.
Tricia is among the suspects and the time of the shooting, she confirmed to police that she was present and revealed how her father and mother got a misunderstanding before she heard a gunshot.
Katanga’s cause of death remains controversial with his biological daughters wife Molly Bunanukye (widow now) pointing to domestic violence, while other close relatives claim that family property disputes may have led to his tragic death causing a deep division within the family.
Katanga was one of the Ankole princes while his wife Molly is a relative and close confidant to key government and security officials who are allegedly trying to save her from facing murder charges.
