Dr. Onzivua Apologizes for Discrediting Colleague in Katanga Murder Trial

In a dramatic turn of events at the High Court, defense forensic witness Dr. Sylvester Onzivua offered a public apology. This came after the prosecution presented evidence demonstrating that his colleague, senior pathologist Dr. William Male, was indeed a certified forensic pathologist.

Dr. Onzivua had previously testified in the murder trial of businesswoman Molly Katanga and others, alleging that Dr. Male was unqualified and unprofessional in his postmortem examination of the late Henry Katanga. He had suggested that Dr. Male’s conclusion of murder was flawed.

However, Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya presented records from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, showing that both Dr. Onzivua and Dr. Male had graduated with diplomas in forensic pathology from the same institution. Dr. Onzivua graduated in 2005, while Dr. Male and other Ugandan doctors completed the same qualification in 2013.

When confronted with this information and pressed by Mr. Muwaganya, Dr. Onzivua retracted his earlier statements. “I did not know he was a forensic pathologist. Now that I know, I am sorry I said this particular statement,” he stated, marking a significant shift from his previous criticisms of the doctors involved in the postmortem.

The prosecution also questioned Dr. Onzivua about his preparation of multiple reports for the defense, noting that he had followed media coverage of the case extensively and reviewed prosecution evidence before issuing supplementary reports without fresh instructions from the accused’s legal team.

The trial is ongoing, with Molly Katanga accused of murdering her husband, and her daughters and others charged with related offenses. The hearing is set to continue on June 10.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)