By THE INDEPENDENT UG
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Businesswoman Molly Katanga who is accused of murdering her husband Henry Katanga has applied to the High Court to grant her bail.
Prosecution alleges that 55-year old Molly on November 2nd, 2023 at Mbuya Chwa two Road, Nakawa Division Kampala Capital City with malice aforethought murdered Henry Katanga by shooting him dead with a pistol.
Through her lawyers of Kampala Associated Advocates alongside Tumusiime and Kabega Company Advocates, Molly says that she has been advised by her lawyers that the offense is bailable and that she is entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence.
Records before Court indicate that Molly was on January 24th 2024 arraigned before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate Court where she was charged with the offence of murder and committed to the High Court for trial.
She contends that after being committed for trial to the High Court , despite her concerning medical condition, she was remanded to Luzira Women’s Prison where she currently is, awaiting the commencement of her trial.
“The Applicant is innocent of the charges preferred against her and it is her strong desire to prove it at the trial whenever it commences,” reads the application.
According to Molly, prior to being committed to the High Court and to her being remanded to Luzira Women’s prison, she had spent over two months at C- Care IHK Hospital where she was receiving specialized treatment and underwent five major surgeries to her scalp and her hands to address the injuries she sustained on the fateful day of her husband’s death and requires a lot of specialized post-operative care for her resuscitation, which is not available in prison.
She argues that she was at all times under detention while in C-Care IHK Hospital where she was admitted for treatment on November 2nd, 2024 and couldn’t be accessed by any of her relatives and friends without permission from the Uganda Police Force.
Molly contends that she has substantial sureties to ensure her attendance of Court at all material times whenever required and to comply with bail terms as shall be set by Court. She lists a Minister, a Uganda People’s Defence Forces General and one of the men who married President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s daughter (Museveni’s son in law) as her proposed sureties to Court.
According to Molly, she has a fixed place of abode at Mbuya I, Mbuya Hill Village, Nakawa Division, Kampala District within the jurisdiction of the High Court.
“Investigations into the criminal case were completed and as such, the Applicant has no capacity to and shall not interfere with investigations/ witnesses once released on bail,” adds her application.
She adds that is she is of advanced age (aged 55 years) and requires specialised medical care due to her current medical condition and she has always been a law-abiding citizen and has never been charged or convicted of any criminal offence.
Molly is pleading with the Court to release her saying that although she is gainfully employed, she is the sole breadwinner of her family and the mother of a child of tender years who is totally dependent on her. She is concerned that there is no indication that her trial is likely to commence anytime soon.
Molly’s bail application comes a week after the High Court Criminal Division Judge Isaac Muwata released her two daughters Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kankwanzi who are accused of destroying evidence in their father’s death on a 2 million shillings cash bail.
The two daughters who had been on remand with their mother are jointly charged with a Shamba boy George Amanyire and Charles Otai, a Nurse who were equally granted bail last week on charges of being an accessory after the fact of murder.
The file has five suspects with Molly Katanga the Prime Suspect as the only one facing murder charges. Molly’s application is yet to be allocated to a Judge and fixed for hearing.
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