The late Susan Magara
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The presiding judge in the murder trial of Susan Magara has reassured the accused that the number of defence lawyers present in court does not influence the outcome or fairness of the proceedings.
The trial resumed on Thursday before the Criminal Division of the High Court of Uganda in Kampala, with the defence presenting additional witnesses as part of the long-running case surrounding Magara’s 2018 abduction and murder.
Presiding judge Alex Mackay Ajiji addressed concerns raised by one of the accused persons regarding the absence of some state-provided defence lawyers.
“Once the accused persons are represented by counsel, the number of lawyers present on the defence team does not determine the fairness of the trial or influence the final outcome,” Justice Ajiji told the court, emphasising that judicial decisions are based strictly on the evidence and the law.
His remarks came after Hajara Nakandi, the only female suspect among the accused, expressed anxiety about what she described as inadequate defence representation. Nakandi told the court she feared that the absence of some lawyers assigned to the case could disadvantage the accused persons during the proceedings.
Justice Ajiji dismissed the concern, reassuring the accused that the court remains impartial and that legal representation, rather than the number of lawyers on the defence bench, is what matters under the law.
The hearing also featured testimony from Zayid Gombe, Nakandi’s husband, who appeared as a defence witness.
During cross-examination by prosecutors, Gombe was questioned about a Toyota Costa vehicle allegedly purchased by Nakandi for about Shs80 million. Investigators have previously suggested that the vehicle may have been acquired around the same time the Magara family paid ransom to the kidnappers.
Gombe told the court that his wife was involved in several business activities, including selling liquid soap and working with a labour externalisation company. However, he admitted that he did not know the precise source of the funds used to purchase the vehicle.
Prosecutors also pressed Gombe about claims that Nakandi sometimes stayed at her mother’s residence in Nateete rather than at their home in Kawempe. Investigators allege the Nateete home was one of the locations where Magara was initially held after her abduction.
Gombe confirmed that his wife occasionally stayed at her family home but did not provide further details about the allegations.
Earlier prosecution witnesses testified that Magara was first taken to a house in Nateete after she was kidnapped. They also claimed that Nakandi’s vehicle was used to transport the victim to another location in Konge, Makindye. Nakandi has consistently denied any involvement in the crime.
Magara, the daughter of businessman John Fitz Magara, was abducted in February 2018. Despite her family reportedly paying a ransom of about Shs700 million, she was later killed, a crime that shocked the country and sparked national debate about rising kidnappings at the time.
About ten suspects were eventually charged in connection with the killing, and the case has continued to draw public attention due to its brutality and the high-profile nature of the victim.
The court adjourned the defence hearing to March 12, when additional witnesses are expected to testify as the trial continues.
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