Acquit Arinaitwe, say assessors
Oct 01, 2003
ASSESSORS in the murder case against Richard Arinaitwe give their opinion today.<br>
By Fred Kyobe
ASSESSORS in the murder case against Richard Arinaitwe give their opinion today.
Trial judge Vincent Kagaba yesterday summed up the evidence by the 12 prosecution witnesses asking the two assessors, Andrew Walimbwa and Yasin Busulwa, to advise him whether Arinaitwe was guilty of the murder of Cecilia Marie Goetz.
Arinaitwe, 26, has been on trial for the murder of American charity worker whose body was found in a room at Hotel Equatoria with multiple knife wounds in July 1998.
Kagaba told the pair that it was not in dispute that Goetz was murdered and that her death was as a result of the stabbing.
“You must address yourselves to the relevant evidence not on everything in court,’’ Kagaba said as Arinaitwe who sat in the dock listened attentively. The assessors said the evidence was insufficient to convict Arinaitwe of murder and called for his acquittal.
They rejected the fingerprints evidence found on the knife said to have been used in the murder, saying it could have been manipulated.
Earlier, Arinaitwe chatted with his parents. The judgement will be on notice.
ASSESSORS in the murder case against Richard Arinaitwe give their opinion today.
Trial judge Vincent Kagaba yesterday summed up the evidence by the 12 prosecution witnesses asking the two assessors, Andrew Walimbwa and Yasin Busulwa, to advise him whether Arinaitwe was guilty of the murder of Cecilia Marie Goetz.
Arinaitwe, 26, has been on trial for the murder of American charity worker whose body was found in a room at Hotel Equatoria with multiple knife wounds in July 1998.
Kagaba told the pair that it was not in dispute that Goetz was murdered and that her death was as a result of the stabbing.
“You must address yourselves to the relevant evidence not on everything in court,’’ Kagaba said as Arinaitwe who sat in the dock listened attentively. The assessors said the evidence was insufficient to convict Arinaitwe of murder and called for his acquittal.
They rejected the fingerprints evidence found on the knife said to have been used in the murder, saying it could have been manipulated.
Earlier, Arinaitwe chatted with his parents. The judgement will be on notice.