High Court Judge Stephen Mubiru has given Mathew Kanyamunyu and his girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari one more chance to explore Judiciary’s Plea bargain process other than the traditional justice system that does not guarantee a suspect’s protection if his/her human rights are violated.
The two are on trial for the alleged murder of Social Worker Kenneth Akena.
This after the two have hired another set of new Lawyers from Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA) to represent them in a case in which they are accused of shooting Akena in November/2016; for allegedly knocking their car.
Today the new Lawyers Peter Kabatsi and Jet Tumwebaze have taken over the trial from McDusman Kabega, Caleb Alaka, Evans Ochieng who abandoned Kanyamunyu after 13 prosecution witnesses had testified against them and resorted to the Traditional Justice System of Acholi to have the matter settled out of Court.
However Justice Mubiru says he is not persuaded by the accused persons move to go traditional when Kanyamunyu has not publicly admitted responsibility for his actions and the fact that it cannot address a crime committed miles away from the aggrieved community; instead it is only intended to tactfully delay justice in this case.
Justice Mubiru observed that enough time and resources has been given to this case and insists it has to proceed as required under the Criminal Justice System.
He then adjourned the matter to Thursday 12th, to either get the outcome of the plea bargain process between the accused persons and the State or proceed with the main trial.
Kanyamunyu and Munwangari are on Thursday expected to change their innocent plea to guilty depending on the sentence they will have negotiated with the Prosecution side.
The process is intended to save Court’s time and resources for those suspects who know deep down that they committed the offence for which they are accused.