By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The High Court in Kampala, presided over by Judge Isaac Muwata has scheduled April 9, 2024, as the date to decide on the bail application filed by Molly Katanga, who is accused of killing her husband, Henry Katanga.
Molly Katanga participated in the court session remotely from Luzira Women’s Prison through video conferencing today April 3, 2024.
In her bail application, Molly (widow to the deceased now) contends that she is entitled to bail because she is still innocent until proven guilty and that she has substantial sureties to ensure her attendance in court whenever required if released on bail.
Furthermore, Molly insists that she “has a strong desire to prove her innocence” and that she needs medical attention to address the injuries she sustained on November 2, 2023, during an alleged fight that claimed her husband’s life.
“It is in the interest of justice that I am released on bail to enable me to get the medical care I require, spend time with my grieving family, earn a living, have adequate time to prepare my defense, and exercise my right to liberty and a fair hearing,” Molly says in her application.
During today’s proceedings, Molly’s Lawyers presented sureties including; John Patrick Kaboyo, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Emmanuel Nyamunywanisa, Minister Margaret Muhanga and Geoffrey Kamuntu.
However, prosecution led by Jonathan Muwaganya contested Dr. Patrick Kaboya and Gen. Emmanuel Burundi as sureties citing their advanced age ranging between 70 to 77 years.
Furthermore, Muwaganya also rejected Geoffrey Kamuntu as one of the sureties noting that he was under scrutiny by the police for allegedly impeding justice by stationing Special Forces Command (SFC) personnel at Molly Katanga’s hospital room while she was still admitted at IHK, thereby preventing investigators from accessing her.
Following their submissions, Muwanganya and his team requested Justice Muwata to reject the bail request and advance to trial which is scheduled for July 2, 2024.
The prosecutors anchored their plea on substantial evidence including a ballistic DNA report which gunpowder residue on Molly’s hands and clothes.
Molly who has been on remand since February has pleaded not guilty in the death of her husband.
Background
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.
