Police arrived two hours after distress call, court told

A witness has told court that police arrived at the scene of the death of Henry Katanga, almost  two hours after the distress call.

ASP Samuel Musede ,a police officer attached to Jinja Road Police Division and is currently in charge of community policing in Bugolobi testified on in the trial of Molly Katanga on Tuesday.

He said that he received a call from Patricia Kakwanza, a friend, on November 2, 2023, at around 8 am, informing him that there was a suicide at her home.

“I rushed to the scene and found Patricia, Otai Charles, and Amanyire at the house. I was directed to a room where the deceased body was found, and I took over the scene, instructing those present to stop any further activity,” he said.

When asked what he observed at the scene, ASP Musede stated, “I saw a pistol on the bed, a spent cartridge, a live bullet, and a lot of blood in the room. The body was placed on a new 3-inch mattress, and there was no blood coming out of it. The body had been cleaned and tied with gauze on the legs.”

According to Musede’s testimony, the police arrived almost two hours after the distress call.

“I didn’t see Molly Katanga at the scene, but Patricia told me that the body was her father’s,” ASP Musede said.

“She told me that the incident happened when her mother was not around.”

Earlier in the day, another witness police doctor Julius Muhwezi testified, distancing himself from a police form presented as evidence.

He told court that the form was tampered with and does not reflect his true findings.
Dr. Muhwezi stated, “I can only own part B of the form. I didn’t sign the first half,” he said, adding that his signature and stamp on the second half had been altered.

The defense counsel, Elison Karuhanga, suggested that Dr. Muhwezi did not examine the suspects and that the form was fabricated as evidence.

Dr. Muhwezi denied this, stating, “I took an oath, I examined these people. But the signature and stamp that appear on the form are not mine.”

Molly Katanga is being tried alongside her daughters — Patricia Kankwanzi and Martha Nkwanzi charged with destroying evidence while the family’s shamba boy, George Amanyire, and a nursing officer Charles Otai, also charged with accessory after a fact.