By KT Reporter
Nine people facing trial for falsely accusing Miracle Center lead Pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomy have been accused of using delaying tactics to stall their defence.
The accusations were made by the Chief State Attorney, Jonathan Muwagany, on Friday when the case came up for further hearing before the Mwanga II Magistrates Court presided over by Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate Adams Byarugaba.
The accused are: Peter Serugo, Reagan Ssentongo, Moses Tumwine, Khalifa Labeeb, Alex Wakamala, Martins Kagolo, Israel Wasswa, Jamil Mwanda, and Aggrey Kinene.
The court had previously banned live coverage of this case’s proceedings to avoid drama. The decision was partly prompted by a request from the accused persons.
However, Muwaganya today informed the court that two of the nine suspects, Alex Wakamala and Jamil Mwanda, have since petitioned the High Court that media live coverage be granted in the case.
Muwaganya stated that to buy time until the High Court hears and grants the said application, the suspects and their counsel have embarked on several tactical measures to delay the defence hearing. The suspects were last year ordered to start defending themselves after being found with a case to answer about the accusations of falsely accusing pastor Kayanja of sodomy.
But almost more than four months later, they are yet to defend themselves.
When the case comes up, the accused have in the previous sessions made different reasons for their unpreparedness to proceed, including demanding to be given their phones to extract some information they think will be useful to build their case.
But, among the delaying tactics, Muwaganya told the court, is one where the suspect’s lawyer, Humphery Tumwesigye, wrote to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions informing them that he will be sick today and on April 4th.
Another tactic Muwaganya told the Court is that there are the very many applications, including accessing phone recordings by suspects, that have kept the defence hearing static for now four months since the court found them with a case to answer.
Muwaganya then wondered why the suspects who are not represented by one lawyer today hired another lawyer, Davis Wesley Tusingwire.
On their part, the defense, through lawyer Ojambo, said that it is not true that the letter says lawyer Humphrey will be sick by April 4th. He said Humphery will be going through a medical process. Ojambo added that the prosecution is seeking a speedy and not a fair trial, yet fairness is important.
He added that much as the suspects have brought in another counsel, Tusingwire, Hamphery is the lawyer of the suspect’s choice.
Byarugaba has given the defence the benefit of the doubt and adjourned the case to April 25th, with orders that the defence commences on that day without fail. Three of the suspects are still on remand.
In his testimony in October 2024, Pastor Robert Kayanja of Rubaga Miracle Centre Church told Byarugaba that the nine individuals falsely accused him of sodomy. He alleged a conspiracy to frame him, linking one of the accused, Israel Wasswa, to Pastor Ssenyonga, a longtime rival.
Pastor Kayanja expressed frustration over the repeated false accusations against him, citing previous cases in 2010 and 2013 where he was falsely accused of sodomy. He noted that in the 2010 case, five pastors – Solomon Male, Michael Kyazze, Martin Sempa, Mukalazi, and Deborah Kyomuhendo – were found guilty of falsely accusing him but were only sentenced to 100 hours of community service by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court .
Pastor Kayanja also referenced the 2013 case where two individuals, Moses Muhanguzi and Ibrahim Nsubuga, falsely accused him of sodomy. He stated that they were handed non-deterrent sentences for attempting to bribe a doctor to conclude that they had been sodomized.
The pastor declared, “Enough is enough,” and requested a deterrent sentence for his accusers, believing that a stronger punishment would deter future blackmail against other would-be accusers.
The Prosecution alleges that the accused persons and others still at large on or about September 17th 2021, in Kampala District conspired together to falsely accuse Pastor Kayanja of unnatural offenses.
They are further accused of conspiracy to defeat Justice, commit a felony, criminal trespass and giving false information to police.
It is alleged that Serugo, Ssentongo, Khalifa, Wakamala and Kagoro, while employed in the Public Service as Police officers, gave false information to police detective IP Cotilda Nandutu, saying that Pastor Kayanja had performed unnatural offenses with them. The Prosecutors say they did this intentionally, knowing that they would cause the said Nandutu and police to devote time and services to investigate information they knew was false-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
