State witness’ video evidence raises further questions, as Lutale’s daughter joins legal team

What the report says

The treason trial of Ugandan opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused continued on Tuesday in the High Court, with state witness Andrew Wilson presenting more video and audio material. Besigye is being tried in absentia because of reported ill health, while Hajji Obeid Lutale and UPDF Captain Denis Oola appeared before Judge Emmanuel Baguma. According to The Observer, Wilson played recordings he said showed meetings in Geneva involving Besigye and Joel Wakayima, and he told the court the conversations pointed to an alleged plan to overthrow President Yoweri Museveni’s government.

The report says the evidence drew fresh scrutiny because the audio remained hard to hear despite changes in playback equipment and courtroom arrangements. Questions were also raised about the timestamp on the video, which did not match Wilson’s account of when and where it was recorded. Wilson also told court that Kenyan security had lost secret recordings from an earlier meeting in Nairobi, which he linked to the group’s presence in the city around Martha Karua’s book launch.

The Observer also reported a change in Lutale’s defence team: his daughter, Mariam Lutale, has joined four other lawyers after receiving formal instructions from her father. Her addition is notable because she previously drew attention for publicly questioning Lutale’s prolonged detention. The development underscores the continuing legal and political significance of the case, which involves allegations of treason against a long-time government critic.