The safety case in which business man and chairman of New Generation Traders Association John Kabanda accuses the real estate developer Christine Nabukeera and her son Vincent Mawanda for stealing his merchandise and hard cash has dragged on for more than two years.
After two years court is still hearing the cross examination of the witnesses for the plaintiff and there are still five witnesses to be cross examined before the case can be decided.
Chief Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu is the second magistrate to handle this case and on January 9 hearing was supposed to continue but when the magistrate appeared in the court room she informed that hearing couldn’t go on because the state prosecutor had an accident and he was still recovering from the wounds he sustained.
She adjourned the case to February 7 and 8 of 2023 during which the last five witnesses of the plaintiff will be cross examined by the defendant’s lawyer.
Nabukeera’s lawyer Dusman Kabega of Tumusiime,Kabega & Company Advocates said that the case has dragged on for long because it government which interest in it and the state Attorney has been absenting himself on many occasions.
“The state Attorney’s office has many state Attorneys in case one is sick the case can be assigned to another. Such a case wouldn’t drag on for all that long simply because the one handling was involved in an accident “. Kabega reasoned.
He further said, “God forbid if the state Attorney handling this case dies does that mean that the case stops there?”
Kabanda who accuses Nabukeera and her son Mawanda for stealing his merchandise and had cash says that the defendant is partly to blame for long time the case has dragged on because she also keeps on missing court sessions with an excuse of being sick.
“Although my case has dragged on for so long, I am very optimistic that I will succeed and get justice because my merchandise and money were stolen during Broadway light when many people were witnessing including Police”. Kabanda said.
He added on, “this is a fight for all tenants and it will set a precedent after winning because many landlords here in the central business district have been taking the law in their hands after which they go scot free “.
In October 2020 John Kabanda with the help of the state dragged the real estate developer Christine Nabukeera and her son Vicent Mawanda who happens to be the manager of her Nana Centre building located along Nakivubo road for allegedly breaking into his shop and stealing shoes worth UGX 300 million and hard cash.
George Bukenya