By Our Reporter
The killer pistol used in the murder of businessman Henry Katanga had the DNA of his wife Molly Katanga and daughter Patricia Kankwanzi according to the police director of forensics, Dr Andrew Mubiru.
Mubiru continued with his testimony on Wednesday by providing scientific evidence linking the killer weapon to Katanga’s close family members. He told court that he conducted the forensic analysis on the weapon and some of the items recovered at the scene of the crime, and that Molly’s DNA was predominantly on the magazine of the pistol and the area near the trigger of the pistol.
Mubiru said last year, he received 23 exhibits, including a pistol, cartridges, bed sheet, boxer shorts, and blood swabs from the accused daughters, deceased, Molly, and also from various places in the bedroom where Katanga died, around their home, hair stretches from the bathroom door, gauze, bandages, among others, for forensic examination.
Mubiru revealed that blood swabs from the master bedroom, including the floor near the bed and the western wall of the wardrobe, matched Molly’s DNA. He said the DNA analysis of the pistol magazine and gunshot residues found on the marital bed also implicated Molly and Kankwanzi.
A key part of any shooting incident reconstruction is the determination of a projectile’s trajectory through items at the scene by DNA analysis. Mubiru revealed that DNA evidence from the projectile recovered from the marital bed had a mixed profile of at least two contributors, with Molly, Kankwanzi, and the deceased Katanga being the likely donors.
Court further heard that another possible scenario is that the DNA came from Katanga and two untested individuals from the Ugandan population, unrelated to the suspects. Mubiru signed as the lead examiner, supervisor, and reviewer of the DNA matching and analysis examination and further explained his forensic analysis process in simple terms.
He stated that a “major DNA profile contributor” refers to an individual whose DNA is more prevalent on the examined item. Mubiru revealed that after analysis, exhibits are returned to the forensic gateway for safe custody and may be sent to another facility for further examination.
He noted that biological exhibits such as blood may be consumed during testing and not returned, but when they have sufficient amounts, they can be sampled and returned. Mubiru testified that he didn’t collect any DNA from the three wooden sticks that were collected from the scene and sent to the lab for analysis.
The prosecution team comprised chief state attorney Jonathan Muwaganya, Annah Kiiza and Samalie Wakooli the assistant director of public prosecutions sought to have Mubiru’s 48-page report and the exhibits admitted in court.
However, the defense lawyers led by Peter Kabatsi, Macdusman Kabega, Bruce Musinguzi Elison Karuhanga, and John Jet Tumwebaze objected to the admissibility on the basis that Mubiru is not the right witness to tender in the exhibits. The lawyers for the accused persons suggested that the police officers who recovered the samples should have been called to exhibit them in court.
The lawyers further accuse the prosecution of denying them what they describe as the vital information requested which would have helped them to ably represent their clients. The trial returns today August 29 for the ruling by justice Isaac Muwata on the admissibility of Mubiru’s exhibits.
The prosecution accuses Molly of murdering her husband on November 2, 2023, by shooting him at their home located in Mbuya Chwa II Road in Nakawa Division Kampala district. The other co-accused are her Katanga’s daughters Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kankwanzi, family shamba boy, George Amanyire, and Charles Otai a nursing officer.
These are facing charges related to tampering and destroying evidence that could have been used to find Henry Katanga’s killers. They are also accused of aiding and abetting the crime (being an accessory after the fact of murder).
