Justice Henry Kaweesa Isabirye a Judge presiding over Mukono High Court criminal session has accepted video evidence and telephone recordings presented by the prosecution where Matthew Kirabo Erlier accepted the offense of murdering his girlfriend Desire Mirembe a former Makerere medical student.
During the court session on Tuesday, the State attorney Happiness Ainebyona presented footage clip recorded during interrogation conducted by Dominic Manyi the lead investigating officer at Lugazi Central Police Station.
In the video, Detective Joel Aiko who shoot the video was explaining to court what was conspiring in the video.
In the video show cased before court Kirabo and IO Manyi also visited the crime scene of sugarcane plantation. Kirabo is seen demonstrating how they packed the car and where they stood having their last talk.
In the video, Kirabo and the IO also visited other places including Nakumati Oasis Mall, Kitezi garbage damping site where he threw Mirembe’s phone and finally the video ends while at Nsambya hospital where he was taken to identify the surgical blade alledgly used in the murder.
While at Nsambya, he demonstrated how Mirembe cut herself and how he helped her cut deeper in her neck, how she fell on the ground and again how he dragged her body into the sugar can plantation.
However, the defense lawyers led by Charles Dalton Opwonya tried objecting the video evidence saying is only supposed to be a confession and should therefore not be accepted.
“My lord the video will not amount to confession. If so then the accused is supposed to have signed on the cd or a prepared document made for him to sign which was not the case here.”
Ali Hasan Kato also another defense lawyer says that there was no proper procedure taken to have the video or have it taken while relaying on the information access act
It should recalled that during the hearing of this case at this criminal session, Kirabo contradicted himself denying the case.
The prosecution insisted that the video is authentic since the person who took it was present in court and just tried to walk court through it something they had earlier asked court to do.
“My lord in regard to the authenticity of the video, it is our submission that the witness has identified the cd that he is the one who recorded it.”
Justice Kaweesa after hearing both sides of ruled that the video be accepted in court since the shooter is present and they could ask him anything they wanted
It should be remembered that on Oct 6, 2021, Kirabo pleaded not guilty to the charge of the murder of Desire Mirembe.
Detective Inspector of police Dominic Manyi has implicated Matthew Kirabo who is accused of murdering his alleged girlfriend Desire Mirembe a former Makerere University Medical student for killing her.
Manyi who was in July 2015, attached to Lugazi Central police station appeared in court as a state witness and has told court that Kirabo confessed to him in an interview that he killed Desire Mirembe.
According to him, on July 31, 2015, Kirabo was brought by a team from Kampala police Head quarters as a suspect in the murder case of Desire Mirembe.
“I had to interview him on how I can reconstruct my case file. During the interview, he confessed that he was the last person to see Desire and that he killed her.” He says
At the moment Kirabo had come to restrict the crime scene. “As the charge, I had to take over the case of reconstructing of the scene by interviewing him and for him to explain how he did it.” He adds
In preparation they had to take a video of the confession.
“He identified himself as Matthew Kirabo and that he knew the deceased and is the one who murdered her.”
Manyi says that they moved in a car with Kirabo and other police officers from Kampala identified as Joel Aiko, AIG Ahimbizibwe, ASP Kirabo, AIP Tulyajenda while he was explaining and led them to the sugar can plantation where the body was found.
“He started telling from how he made his movements from Kampala. He said he picked her (Mirembe) from a mall in Kampala to solve some issues as girlfriend and boyfriend.”
“They then got into a car and started heading to Bugiri district where he was doing his internship. While on their way, they got into a disagreement they stopped in Bulyantete in Lugazi, they branched off the main road. He stopped the car and the girl (Mirembe) pulled a surgical blade from her bag.”
“She came out of the car and said her last words and put the blade on her neck and cut herself, I then helped her cut herself deeply, he then stood for some time looking at her dying. After he pulled her body inside the sugar can plantation, took a break where he thought of committing sucide but the resolved to getting into his car and drove off.” He said
Prosecution has brought a video with a confession of the accused Matthew Kirabo confessing to the murder of Desire Mirembe a former Makerere University medical student.
However, the defense lawyer Charles Dalton Oponya is not convinced with the contents of the video
“His client was forced to confess that he killed the deceased.” He says
