The defence team in the trial of Ms Molly Katanga was on Tuesday morning left reeling with frustration after the trial judge declined to grant a request to remove lead prosecutor, Samali Wakoli from the case.
The defence team led by Peter Kabatsi had accused Wakoli of bias and conflict of interest, citing her involvement in preparing the summary of evidence, including a DNA report.
Despite the lawyers' protests, High Court Judge Isaac Muwata ruled that Wakoli would continue to prosecute the case, sparking fears of bias from the accused.
The defence team had argued that Wakoli's involvement in preparing the summary of evidence, including the DNA report, constituted a clear conflict of interest.
They claimed that Wakoli's bias was evident in her preparation of the summary, which they alleged was flawed and misleading.
The prosecution, however, maintained that Wakoli's role was limited to guiding on the evidence required, and that a competent DNA expert would testify regarding the report.
Molly Katanga is accused of murdering her husband, Henry Katanga, a renowned businessman who succumbed to a gunshot wound on November 2, 2023, at their Kampala residence.
Her co-accused include George Amanyire, a domestic worker, Charles Otai, a nursing officer, and her two daughters, Patricia Kakwanza and Martha Nkwanzi, who are accused of destroying evidence and being accessories to the murder.
The offense of murder carries a maximum sentence of death upon conviction, while destroying evidence and being an accessory to murder each carries a seven-year jail term.
