The High court has acquitted rally driver Desh Kananaura, his brother Raymond Kananura and three other people who had been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Desh's employee Badru Kateregga
Desh Kananura, Raymond Kananura, Cyrus Maganda, Samuel Muzolewa and Jacob Onyango had been accused of beating Badru Kateregga, a bar attendant to death, over Shs30, 000 the deceased had received as a tip from a customer at Panamera bar, which is owned by Desh Kananura. The offence is said to have been committed on the night of 29th September 2012.
After evaluating evidence of 10 prosecution witnesses, presiding Judge Joseph Murangira ruled that in absence of incriminating evidence against all the five accused persons, prosecution had failed to place any of them at the scene of crime.
The judge also noted that prosecution failed to challenge the accused persons' defence that by the time Kateregga was attacked, they were out of the said bar, on top of failing to call vital witnesses under the guise that their lives were being threatened.
Justice Murangira agreed with the prosecution that Kateregga's death was unlawful but he wondered where Kateregga met his death because the 12 police officers who were deployed to guard Panamera bar on the fateful night, reportedly left when he was alive and everything was normal.
The Judge has now ordered a refund of the acquitted persons' bail money.
However, the DPP's public relations officer Jane Okuo Kajuga says they have to appeal the court ruling before a penal of three Justices of the Court of Appeal, over the poorly evaluated evidence.