Lawyer Told To Summon Museveni

JUSTICE John Bosco Katutsi has allowed a lawyer to summon President Yoweri Museveni to testify in the March 1999 Bwindi tourist killing.Solomon Muyita wrties that Suza Manyindo is suing the State for damages and compensation for his vehicle, a Toyota Omnibus registration no. UAA 173D, which was burnt in an attack in which eight tourists were killed by suspected Interahamwe rebels.Justice Katutsi yesterday told the lawyer, Modest Kanyunyuzi Banage of Kanyunyuzi & Co.Advocates, who represents Manyindo in the suit, that, “Call any witness you want, be it an Angel or God. I will not order the witness to come here, he is your witness.”Kanyunyuzi told the court that it was only the President who would prove to the court that there was negligence on the part of the State security, which resulted in the massacre and loss of property.He produced a copy of The New Vision dated March 4, 1999, in which Museveni was quoted as saying the attack resulted from the failure of the local authorities to ask for military protection.The judge, however, rejected the newspaper reports, saying it was hearsay.Ends