By Our Reporters
Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo has said that the gruesome shooting of prosecutor Joan Kagezi had nothing to do with the terrorism trial she was spearheading in the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High Court. Dollo, who closely worked with Kagezi in trying the July 2010 bombing terrorists, said from what he reliably knows as the judge who heard the case, Kagezi’s murder on her way back home had nothing to do with the trial. This contradicts investigators and police authorities that had at some point attributed the incident to ADF and other sponsors of terrorism who must have been unhappy with the way she was prosecuting their guys before Owiny Dollo. Speaking at the 3rd Joan Kagezi memorial lecture at Hotel Africana, Dollo said: “I want to put it very categorically that the killing of Joan had nothing to do with that trial. I can’t tell what it had to do with but it wasn’t the trial.” His revelation attracted applause from especially Joan Kagezi’s friends and relatives in the audience.
He said as the team working on that case along with Joan they vowed that she shouldn’t die in vain and they have delivered on that by ensuring the terrorism suspects she worked so hard to prosecute are convicted. He said conviction was secured and even those who escaped with lesser penalty it was because they were let down by countries that refused to support investigations because Uganda has death penalty. Dollo recalled that evening phone call he received from Justice Lydia Mugambe announcing the death of Kagezi. He said he was in his Kololo office waiting for the jam to reduce and drive home. Owiny Dollo wondered why Uganda which has such excellent crime investigators in Police can up to this day fail to have any suspects behind Kagezi’s murder.
He said the killing was an act of cowardice because its abominable in African tradition to kill a woman, children or the elderly. “God never forgives such people because in fact if a woman, child or an elder curses you then you are finished,” said Dollo who earlier speakers had praised for the manner he has conducted proceedings so far at the Constitutional Petition hearing in Mbale. He said Joan was so close to him he had to travel all the way from Mbale to come and be present at the lecture. “I was here as early as 9am only to be corrected that the event was at 2pm,” said Dollo who Deputy DPP Amos Ngolobe had earlier on thanked for returning Ugandans’ trust into the Constitutional Court after many years of hopelessness under his predecessor Steven Kavuma. Dollo said for African governments to meaningfully resist and defeat transnational organized crimes (the day’s theme was on this), corruption must be overcome first.
He said corruption had even changed the way the rest of the world perceives Ugandans. “We used to be very trusted people but these days when you travel and you are from Uganda, you will be treated with suspicion because Entebbe Airport is now taken to be the hub of criminal activities. Even the judges are subjected to body searches out there because they (our hosts) aren’t sure,” said Dollo to an audience that comprised of local and international guests from different other legal jurisdictions including the UK & Wales. See more in pictures taken at the event. For comments, call/text/WhatsApp us on 0703164755!
