Lawyers led by Henry Kunya told Justices of the Court of Appeal that the High Court judge that convicted Godi, did not properly evaluate the evidence on record.

He says the judge disregarded the evidence of eye witnesses and instead convicted his client on circumstantial evidence.

However prosecution led by Senior Principal State Attorney Joan Kagezi asked court to dismiss the appeal, saying the court reached a rightful decision.

Godi is challenging the 25year sentence handed to him in February 2011 by the High court in Mukono, for the murder of his 19 year old wife Rehema Ceaser.

He appeared before three justices of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Constance Byamugisha who set ruling on notice.

Rehema was murdered in December 2008 at Lukojo village in Mukono district.

Godi is dissatisfied with both the conviction and 25 year sentence the court handed him.

The post Akbar Godi appeals against murder sentence first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Presiding Judge, Lawrence Gidudu says the prosecution had adduced enough evidenceto implicate Godi in the murder of his estranged wife.

Akbar Hussein Godi in Black Suit

The Judge agreed with Principal state attorney Joan Kagezi that there was enough evidence to prove that Godi killed his 19 year old wife on December 4, 2008 in Mukono.

The writing must have been on the wall for Godi, following his sending to Luzira on 1^st February with Gidudu canceling his bail arguing that given the nature of the case and the assessor’s opinion, it was safer for the MP to be remanded as he was likely to jump bail.

Godi’s lawyers led by McDusman Kabega have asked the court to dismiss the case against the MP arguing that the state had failed to avail any evidence that Godi killed his wife. Kabega said all the evidence presented was circumstantial and not reliable to convict his client.

But Gidudu agreed with Kagezi that Godi’s actions before and after the murder pointed to him murdering the wife, and that forensics experts had adduced strong evidence against Godi, stating that the two spent cartridges recovered from the murder scene came from Godi’s pistol.

Judge Gidudu sentenced Godi to 25 years in jail. Justice Lawrence Gidudu will deliver his full ruling later, but affirmed that he was convinced that Godi whom he described as “a skillful mafia” hunted his estranged wife until she was brutally murdered.

The relatives of Rehema Ceasar jubilated after the sentencing saying she had got justice for the cold blooded murder by her husband. Godi’s lawyers did not immediately specify whether they would appeal the rilling.

The judgement unless overturned also means Godi loses his seat in parliament and candidature in the Arua Municipality Member of parliament race where he stood as an independent.

Ultimate Media

The post MP Akbar Godi convicted by Mukono High Court for wife’s murder first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

This followed the court assesors today morning advising trial Judge Gidudu to convict Godi for the murder of his wife, 19 year old Rehema Caesar.

Judge Gidudu presiding over the case at Mukono High Court argued that given the nature of the case and the assessor’s opinion that Godi should be convicted, it was safer for the MP to be remanded as he was likely to jump bail.

The assessors agreed with Principal state attorney Joan Kagezi that there was enough evidence to prove that Godi killed his wife on December 4, 2008.

Akbar Hussein Godi in Black Suit

But Godi’s lawyers led by McDusman Kabega argued that Godi should be freed because the state had failed to avail any evidence that Godi killed his wife. He said all the evidence presented was circumstantial and not reliable to convict his client.

Kagezi had earlier submitted that Godi’s actions before and after the murder pointed to him murdering the wife, for example he called a press conference to clear his name in the media instead of reporting the matter to the Police.

She also added that forensics experts had adduced strong evidence against Godi, stating that the two spent cartridges recovered from the murder scene came from Godi’s pistol.

Kabega however said his client had accounted for all the bullets given to him, and the police certified this.

Ultimate Media

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