Lawyer Kabega abandons Kajubi

Dismus Buregyeya

Kampala city tycoon, Godfrey Kato Kajubi who is facing murder charges in Masaka High Court made a last-minute change of lawyers after his lawyer, Mark Dusman Kabega failed to turn up.

The judge presiding over the case, Justice Mike Chibita had to wait until midday Monday for Kabega to show up, but in vain.

Court was forced to provide Kajubi with an alternative Masaka-based lawyer, Fred Kamugunda of Matovu and Kamugunda advocates.

Asked whether he was comfortable with lawyer Kamugunda, Kajubi okayed him saying that he did not have any alternative. He also accepted to have Dominic Wasswa and Ronald Ndinoha as High Court assessors.

Kamugunda asked court to adjourn the case until Tuesday to peruse the files for Kajubi.

Justice Kibuuka Musoke who was earlier scheduled to handle to case, withdrew on grounds that Kajubi was related to him.

Kajubi told New Vision online that he expected Kabega to represent him since he handled the first phase of the case which was initially discontinued by Justice Moses Mukiibi for lack of sufficient prosecution evidence.

"I communicated to my lawyer and he told me that he concluded business regarding that case when the High Court acquitted him," Kajubi said.

By press time it was not clear why Kabega failed to turn up.

Kajubi earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges of murdering 12-year-old Joseph Kasirye, a pupil of Kayugi village in Mukungwe sub-county, Masaka district.

The office of the DPP appealed against the High Court’s decision to acquit Kajubi before the Court of Appeal called for fresh hearing of the case.

Kajubi is expected to appear in court with his co-accused persons, Umar Kateregga and his wife Mariam Nabukeera.

During the first trial, Kateregga and Nabukera confessed to have participated in the murder of the boy and were later turned into state witnesses.