Alex Wakamala, who is one of the accused individuals in a plot to frame Pastor Robert Kayanja of Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral of sodomy, admitted during cross-re-examination that he was in contact with the guards of Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga.
Ssenyonga, of Christian Life Ministries International, is accused of being the chief architect of the plot.
It should be noted that the defence had requested the opportunity to re-examine Wakamala after he struggled during the prosecution’s cross-examination.
Wakamala’s performance in the dock was lacklustre, prompting his lawyers, Davis Wesley Tusingwire and Bernard Mugenyi, to abruptly end the session.
When pressed to explain how he obtained and saved the phone numbers 0704424592 (saved as Wasswa), 0752949364 (saved as Pastor Ssenyonga), and 0755962117 (saved as chairman) in his contacts, Wakamala did not have a clear answer.
During his earlier cross-examination, he had claimed his wife obtained these numbers. However, in court today, Wakamala offered a different explanation.
“I wrote down the numbers during the trials as they were being read out loud,” he said.
“I had even forgotten they were in my contacts. Actually, Your Honour, the claim that Israel Wasswa instructed me to engage in any mischief is untrue. I only met Wasswa in court, and that’s why I saved their numbers to ask them why I was implicated in their case.”
This contradictory testimony derailed the defence’s attempt to rectify Wakamala’s earlier statements, leading them to request additional time to prepare their next two witnesses, Reagan Ssentongo and Peter Serugo, for their appearance in the dock.
It is worth noting that a phone matrix, presented in court by D/ASP Bill Ndyamuhaki from the Cybercrime Department of the police, revealed frequent communication between Aggrey Kinene, personal assistant to Pastor Ssenyonga, and the accused, particularly Reagan Ssentongo.
Unlike the suspects, who declined to testify under oath, this phone matrix was submitted under oath.
“Your Honour, we request more time to prepare our next two witnesses, Reagan Ssentongo and Peter Serugo, who were scheduled to appear tomorrow morning,” pleaded Tusingwire.
This request followed shortly after Wakamala’s co-accused, Israel Wasswa, defended himself against the charges, also not under oath. The courtroom erupted in laughter when Grade One Magistrate Adams Byarugaba asked Wasswa if he wished to reconsider and testify under oath. Wasswa, an ex-convict who served two and a half years in prison for aggravated assault and robbery, declined.
Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya argued that the defence was playing delaying tactics. “
My Lord, they have had ample time since December last year. Their co-accused, Labib Khalifah, has already testified, yet they claim these two are unprepared despite all being on remand under the same circumstances.”
Wakamala’s co-accused include Reagan Ssentongo, Peter Serugo, Israel Wasswa, Jamil Mwandha, Aggrey Kinene, Martins Kagolo, and Moses Tumwine, who remains at large.
