The pistol allegedly used to kill businessman Henry Katanga has been presented in court.
The pistol, black in color, was on Monday
presented by Derrick Nasawali, a Firearms Examiner and head of Ballistics and Toolmarks at the Uganda Police Force’s Forensic Department.
He was testifying as the 11th Prosecution witness in the case in which Molly Katanga is facing charges of murder of her husband, which happened on November 2nd, 2023, by shooting at their home in Mbuya Chwa II Road, Nakawa in Kampala City.
The pistol was tendered and admitted as a prosecution exhibit before proceedings presided over by Lady Justice Rosette Kania Comfort.
Nasawali indicated that on November 3rd 2023 their laboratory received several exhibits, including a black pistol, live ammunition, a projectile, and a pistol magazine, bedsheets and clothes recovered from the Katanga master bedroom and crime scene.
He examined whether the pistol was capable of discharging bullets and if it fired a live bullet.
Additionally, Nasawali indicated that he received and examined clothes recovered from Molly Katanga, her daughter Patricia Kakwanzi, and a doctor’s shirt recovered from nurse Charles Otai to establish if they had any gunpowder residue.
Nasawali told the Judge that he received requests from Jinja Road police station to examine swabs from Molly Katanga’s right hand, her late husband’s gunshot wounds, and swabs of the muzzle of the black pistol.
He noted that his examination led to a report on November 13th, 2023, which found that the black pistol was in good condition to discharge live ammunition.
He said there was strong evidence that the spent cartridge discovered on Katanga’s bed was fired from this pistol.
“The pistol was in a good working condition and capable of discharging live ammunition of calibre 9 times 19 millimetres”, said Nasawali.
Nasawali also testified that gunshot residue was detected on swabs collected from Molly Katanga’s left hand, a Kitengi-free dress recovered from the couple’s master bedroom,their daughters’ maroon and white decorated dress, and the late Katanga’s gun entry wounds on his left ear.
Nasawali, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry and a Certificate in Forensic Dactyloscopy from Makerere University and the University of Moscow, said that some of the exhibits submitted to him for analysis, such as Otai’s clothes, didn’t have gunshot residues.
The hearing of the case is still ongoing with the Defense lawyers led by Macdusman Kabega, Peter Kabatsi, John Jet Tumwebaze and Elison Karuhanga cross-examining the witness following the findings from his testimony.
Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya and Annah Kiiza, and the Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Samalie Wakooli, are representing the Prosecution team/office of the Director of Public Prosecutions or the State.
Lawyer Mwesigwa Rukutana, the former Deputy Attorney General, represents the interests of the relatives of the deceased Katanga on instructions to watch and follow the case on their behalf.
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