Katanga trial: Prosecution’s 5th witness evidence risks being thrown out for being a ‘fake lawyer’
A lawyer who claims to have handled slain businessman Henry Katanga’s key documents may not be an enrolled advocate of the high court which may have implications on his submissions in the ongoing trial.
On Monday, July 15th, 2024, Ronald Mugabe Ruranga, a self-proclaimed lawyer and businessman, testified in court (as a 5th prosecution witness) about his close relationship with the late Henry Katanga.
He said he had been Katanga’s lawyer for close to 17 years and also a personal friend.
He testified that he would often handle Katanga’s legal documents including sale agreements and transfer of titles in the latter’s money lending business whose offices were situated at Uganda Cooperative Alliance building, Nkrumah Road, Kampala.
However, during cross-examination, defence lawyers led by Macdosman Kabega said his submissions were full of lies because he is not an enrolled advocate.
“I want to suggest to you that you are lying to this court. You are not a practicing advocate. You are passing off as an advocate. You don’t have a practicing certificate,” Kabega charged.
When Ruranga denied the assertion, Kabega presented a document signed by the Chief Registrar indicating that Ruranga’s name does not appear on the roll of advocates.
Ruranga insisted that he is an enrolled advocate although he could not produce any document to prove so.
Kabega went on to produce copies of transfer of titles between Katanga and various people including his daughters Martha, Patricia, wife Molly, National Housing and Construction Company (NHCCL) and other businessmen and Ruranga’s signature was not appended anywhere.
Ruranga said maybe he wasn’t Katanga’s only lawyer.
He hastened to add that he too had some documents related to Katanga’s transactions kept at his office.
“You are not an advocate but an imposter. That’s why you didn’t put your name and signature on any of these transfer of titles documents,” Kabega stressed.
Trial judge, Justice Isaac Muwata is expected to make a ruling over this matter.
WHAT RURANGA TOLD COURT
Ruranga, 45, told court that he works with Agaba&Co-Advocates whose offices are situated at Uganda Cooperative Alliance building, Nkrumah Road, Kampala. This is where Katanga’s money lending business was also situated.
He said he had known the late Katanga for 17 years and further described him as a client, personal friend and business associate.
He claimed to have handled legal documents for Katanga’s money lending business including sale agreements and transfer of titles.
He told the court that Katanga was a strict and a very careful man. That the two would share lunch together alongside another lady called Ninsiima for all the time they had known each other.
That they would also hangout at places like Silver Spoon restaurant (Wandegeya), Lugogo and his (Ruranga) bar along Mukwano road.
He said Katanga loved Checked Shirts.
“He was a gentleman. He was a cool headed man. His temperaments were measured despite being armed. He would talk less, listen more. He had a very good memory. We would write everything discussed down. He was jovial, cool & jolly,” Ruranga testified.
He told court that on 30th October, 2023 he received a call from Katanga suggesting he had documents to give him. Ruranga was reportedly in Ntinda and asked Katanga to leave the documents with his partner Agaba at their office on Nkurumah road.
Ruranga did not show up at the office the next day (on 1st November) to look at the documents and possibly meet Katanga.
He showed up on 2nd November morning hoping to meet Katanga only to receive the news of his client’s death at around midday.
What came into his head was to reportedly arrange for another padlock on Katanga’s office because he was unaware of circumstances that led to his death. And for security reasons he feared that some people may come to retrieve documents from Katanga’s money lending office.
Ruranga later learnt that the envelope Katanga left behind contained many photocopies of certificate of title, very original agreements (sale and purchase) and stickers indicating where and when he bought land and balance.
Katanga’s sister Naome, also reportedly informed Ruranga that Katanga wanted to make a will and that’s why he was also looking for him urgently.
According to Ruranga, the next day (3rd November), police officers from Jinja Road Police Division showed up at Nkurumah road and searched Katanga’s office in the presence of one Haruna-the building’s head of security, Katanga’s sister Naome Nyangweso, Bosco Zziwa, Avarist Kanyesigye, Akongo Bibiana and another police officer from Nkurumah police post called Okumu.
No immediate member of Katanga’s family was present apart from his sister Naome, according to Ruranga.
It is claimed police broke into Katanga’s office safe and discovered Ugx Shs21m and other unspecified amounts in foreign currencies, transfer agreements, titles, cheques, and fixed deposits.
Ruranga said that earlier in August 2023, Katanga had been shaken by the death of two friends (Ninsiima and another UPDF officer) and had reportedly vowed never to die like a dog by carrying out a general body checkup.
Defence lawyer Kabega also accused Ruranga of having a selective memory after testifying that he could not recall whether Katanga’s sister Naome Nyangweso spoke at one of his daughters’ wedding, and she allegedly praised Molly, Katanga’s wife, for raising their children well.
Whereas the trial judge was ready to proceed with the 6th witness (Naome Nyangweso, the sister of the late Henry Katanga and a key witness for the prosecution), this couldn’t happen due to language barrier.
The court struggled to find an interpreter fluent in Runyankole, her native language, something that infuriated defence lawyers, insisting that from the start the prosecution wasn’t ready for the case.
Nyangweso’s unexpected language barrier led to an adjournment of the trial until August 20th, 2024.
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