Mwanga II Court has rejected video and photographic evidence presented by defence lawyers in the ongoing trial of men accused of blackmailing Pastor Robert Kayanja.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Adams Byarugaba, ruled that a qualified technical expert must first verify the source and authenticity of the digital material before it can be admitted as evidence.
The ruling followed a sharp exchange between State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya and the defence team during the hearing.
Defence lawyers Robert Odhiambo and Bernard Mugenyi argued that the videos and photographs should be played in court as the key accused, Reagan Ssentongo, gave his testimony.
The prosecution objected, arguing that Ssentongo was not qualified to authenticate the digital material.
“I cannot allow Ssentongo to continue providing information to the court by referring to videos that have not been confirmed by an expert,” Muwaganya submitted.
The magistrate agreed, holding that the defence must first present an expert witness to establish the origin and integrity of the material before it can be relied upon in court.
The matter was adjourned to March 13, 2026 for further hearing. This is the third adjournment this year.
Earlier, the defence had sought more time to retrieve information from Ssentongo’s phone. The court granted the request. However, they returned without an expert report to support the admissibility of the material.
The case, which centres on the alleged blackmail of Robert Kayanja, has been in court for more than three years.
At a previous hearing, the magistrate warned against what he described as “cat-and-mouse” tactics that risk delaying the proceedings.
Ssentongo has chosen to testify under oath. His co-accused, Sserugo, Labib Khalifa, Alex Wakamala and Martin Kagolo, have opted to make unsworn statements, meaning they cannot be cross-examined by the prosecution.
Before the trial began, it was alleged that Ssentongo’s bodyguard, Israel Waiswa, and his personal assistant, Aggrey Kanene, took the accused men for medical examination. A police doctor later testified under oath that the results were negative.
In a separate matter in 2022, Ssentongo and Labib Khalifa were convicted of aggravated robbery and assault and sentenced to six years in prison.
The two, who previously worked at Kayanja’s farm in Kiryandongo, were found guilty of attacking Patrick Turyatemba at his home in April 2020.
