The High Court in Kampala heard that Dr. Richard Ambayo, the pathologist who performed the postmortem on Henry Katanga’s body, received a request from the police suggesting that they were investigating allegations of a possible suicide.
This came in during the two-day cross-examination arising from Ambayo’s testimony, in which he stated that Katanga died from a single gunshot wound at close range.
Ambayo has been testifying in the case in which the widow of Katanga, Molly Katanga is accused of murdering her husband.
Dr. Ambayo carried out the postmortem exercise on the late Katanga’s body at Kampala Capital City Authority mortuary located inside Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Ambayo was answering questions from the accused person’s lawyers arising from his testimony before the Court presided over by Criminal Division Judge Isaac Muwata.
Most of the questions asked aimed at pointing out that Katanga could have died as a result of suicide arising from a domestic brawl.
However, Dr Ambayo said he was not at the deceased’s home and was testifying to his findings together with a team of pathologists and other people he carried out the autopsy with.
Although the trial involves five accused persons, Molly Katanga is standing trial individually on charges of murder.
While the others namely; her two daughters, Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kankwanzi as well as George Amanyire the family’s shamba boy, and Charles Otai a nursing officer) are being accused of being an accessory to the murder of Katanga which occurred on November 2nd, 2023, and also for tampering with evidence that would have been crucial in Judicial proceedings.
Other questions asked Dr Ambayo seemed to discredit his competency as a Pathologist as he was being asked whether he was a Forensic Expert to which he answered in the negative.
Dr Ambayo was further asked questions about the type of gun that could have fired the bullet that led to Katanga’s death.
He responded that he was a pathologist but not a ballistic expert adding that he didn’t even recover the killer projectile while carrying out the examination.
The Court has also heard that Dr. Ambayo was unable to examine whether there were gunshot residues or powder in Katanga’s hands because; the standard practice is to have the hands of the deceased person protected with the paper but Katanga’s body arrived when it didn’t have such protection.
There was possible contamination and examination for gunpowder and residues was never done.
Several pieces of literature from various journals written by International doctors were supplied to him regarding their (those doctors) opinions on some procedures while doing a postmortem on a person who succumbed to bullet.
But Dr. Ambayo downgraded the literature to have been picked from one of the low-quality journals and therefore, not applicable in Uganda, not binding, and not reliable for a person like him with a Master’s Degree in Pathology coupled with vast experience.
He further stated that the journals the defense lawyers were referring to bore pictures of imagined bodies but not realistic like as of him who examined the late Katanga’s body; which implies that his findings were based on facts but not on the imagination like of the journals.
Further, the accused persons’ lawyers also asked about issues on the entrance of the killer projectile and it’s exit direction.
Dr. Ambayo said the bullet entered from the left ear and exited from the right ear. But the defense raised questions to portray that it was vice versa, which would point out to suicide.
The Prosecution wants to prove that Katanga was right-handed and that there is no way he could have shot himself in the left ear and the bullet exits from the right ear.
The lawyers who represent the accused persons are; Peter Kabatsi, Macdusman Kabega, Bruce Musinguzi, John Jet Tumwebaze, and Elison Karuhanga.
Mwesigwa Rukutana and, Brian Rubaihayo and Edgar Ayebazibwe represent the interests of the late Katanga’s mother.
Chief State Attorneys Jonathan Muwaganya and Annah Kiiza as well as assistant DPP Wakooli appear for the State(Prosecution).
Dr. Ambayo became one of the longest cross-examined expert witnesses Our Reporter has seen in the recent past as most of them normally go immediately after their testimonies without being cross-examined; while others do not normally take more than one hour in cross-examination.
The case will be resuming on August 27th, 2024 with the Prosecution arraigning their eighth witness.
