Nebanda: Onzivua was in order, witness tells court

By JOB BWIRE

Interdicted Mulago Pathologist, Dr. Sylvester Onzivua acted normally by taking body samples of the late Butaleja Woman Member of Parliament Cerinah Nebanda, court heard Thursday.

A second witness in a case in which Onzivua and the Kinkizi East MP, Chris Baryomunsi are charged with conspiracy and abuse of office testified.

Sergeant Charles Aluma, a liaison forensic officer of Mulago Hospital who is responsible for witnessing the postmortem examination, receiving and sealing of body samples from the pathologists who carry out particular postmortems and taking them to the government analytical laboratory told court Thursday that he saw Onzivua further dissect the body samples and put them in a separate bottle but was not surprised.

Aluma told Buganda road court presided over by Chief magistrate, Olive Mukwaya Kazaarwe, that he was not surprised because usually, pathologists during postmortem examinations take samples from the body for their independent examinations.

“I was not surprised of Dr. Onzivua’s action because it was normal practice for the pathologists to keep or carry body samples after the postmortem for their own independent or departmental investigations,” said Aluma.

Aluma who gave contradicting statements in court also said he was escorted to the government analytical laboratory by Baryomunsi and another person he did not know in a private car organized by the MP.

However, during cross examination, one of the defense lawyers, Abdu Katuntu asserted that it was not Baryomunsi who accompanied Aluma with sample bottles to the laboratory but rather Dr. Sam Lyomuki and Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo.

“It seems like either your memory is failing you or you are deliberately telling court lies,” asserted Katuntu.

“Dr. Lyomuki and the government analyst, Arnold Mubiru who received sample bottles at the laboratory are coming here to tell the truth on who accompanied you. Besides, as an experienced police officer, you are supposed to describe what you saw and not what you were told to say,” added Katuntu.

Aluma also added that usually, he supplies five sample bottles but in this case he supplied over 10 sample bottles such that if any pathologist as usual wanted to take separate samples would do so with the extra bottles.

Onzivua and his co-accused Baryomunsi are charged with conspiracy to commit a felony when they allegedly conspired to unlawfully obtain body samples of the body of the late Nebanda. Onzivua was separately charged with abuse of office.
The case was adjourned to July 15 and 16 for further hearing.