KAMPALA-Justice Flavia Anglin Senoga is set to give her ruling Wednesday August 9 on weather court should be furnished with original forensic reports as state evidence in the killing of a businesswoman, Betty Donah Katusabe as requested by the defence lawyers.
The judge’s decision was prompted by one of the defence lawyers, Mr Evans Ochieng’s submissions when he objected to the tendering in of copies of forensic documents from the Government Analytical Laboratory (GAL) saying that they are carbon copies with some documents written in ink writing with in different pens.
Court heard that most important areas in the documents are detailing the DNA and washes as exhibits which need a crucial analysis; however they are just mere photocopies which would necessitate the state to present their originals or find an officer from GAL to own them.
However in reply to the defence lawyer’s worries, state prosecutor, Mr Alex Ojok said that GAL always sends to court stamped carbon copies and keeps the originals and if the defence insists on finding originals, it can stall the case for another year as the labs is filled bulky files.
One of the state witnesses, Dr Geoffrey Onen, who examined the blood samples that was collected from the car and scene of crime, had earlier in the day told court that the samples matched the deceased Katusabe.
“I received exhibits of blood samples from the car and another from the office walls and they all had a DNA profile of a female origin and from the same donor Katusaba and my conclusion from the analysis I got was a strong genetic evidence of composition of the deceased,” Dr Onen told court.
Mr Muhammed Ssebuwufu, a car dealer, and seven others are accused of killing Ms Katusabe on October 21, 2015 using sticks and pangas at his Pine Car Bond in Kampala over an outstanding Shs9m car debt.
Other suspects in this case are; Godfrey Kayiza, Philip Mirambe, Stephen Lwanga , Paul Tasingika, Yoweri Kitayimba, 37, Damaseni Ssentongo, 42 and Shaban Otuddu.
