The family of jailed opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye has challenged evidence presented in his ongoing treason case, claiming that he was at his Kasangati home on the date appearing on a video allegedly linked to a meeting in Geneva.
The family says Besigye was at home on May 24, 2020, disputing the significance of a timestamp appearing on video evidence presented before the High Court.
The issue was raised by Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, after she shared a message from Deo Given Okodi, a young man who has been under Besigye’s guardianship.
Okodi said he clearly remembers May 24, 2020, because it was his birthday and Uganda was under COVID-19 lockdown restrictions at the time.
According to Okodi, he was staying at the Kasangati home with Besigye and received a box of chocolates from the former presidential candidate as part of his birthday celebration.
“I was in S.6, locked down at the Kasangati home, and it was my birthday. Dr. KB gave me a box of chocolates, my first ever birthday celebration,” Okodi reportedly said.
His account has added a new dimension to questions surrounding video evidence being relied upon by prosecutors in the treason proceedings against Besigye and his co-accused.
The controversy centres on a video that prosecutors say is connected to an alleged meeting involving Besigye in Geneva, Switzerland.
Prosecution witness Andrew Wilson, an American private security investigator, told court that he met Besigye and Joel Wakayima in Geneva on January 28, 2024.
However, video material played in court reportedly carried a timestamp showing May 24, 2020, creating questions about the date associated with the recording.
The discrepancy has become a significant point of discussion as the court considers evidence presented by the prosecution in the case.
Byanyima has used Okodi’s recollection of the 2020 lockdown period to challenge the interpretation of the timestamp and question how the recording could be associated with a meeting involving Besigye in Geneva.
Wilson has told court that he used commercial devices fitted with hidden cameras and microphones to secretly record meetings involving Besigye and other individuals.
During his testimony, he reportedly described the equipment as relatively cheap and said he had been operating with a limited budget while carrying out the recording activities.
Wilson has alleged that the Geneva meeting involved discussions about plans to overthrow President Yoweri Museveni’s government.
He further alleged that the discussions included a proposal to assassinate President Museveni and subsequently attribute responsibility for the killing to the Allied Democratic Forces.
The witness also told court that he himself suggested assassination as an option if the group was serious about removing the government, alleging that Besigye and Wakayima agreed with the proposal.
Wilson further alleged that discussions included the possibility of using a drone against a commercial aircraft as part of a plan intended to create chaos and attract attention.
Other accounts of the proceedings have reported allegations involving a possible bomb attack on an aircraft carrying tourists, with the resulting publicity allegedly intended to damage the Museveni government.
Some of the audio recordings played in court have reportedly been difficult to understand, with Wilson providing explanations about portions of the conversations for the court.
The prosecution’s evidence has also included claims about another alleged meeting involving Besigye in Nairobi, although Wilson told court that recordings from that encounter were lost after Kenyan police allegedly interfered with his recording equipment.
Besigye is facing treason charges alongside Hajji Obeid Lutale and Capt Denis Oola. Prosecutors accuse them of involvement in alleged efforts to overthrow Museveni’s government through activities linked to Uganda, Kenya, Greece and Switzerland.
The accused have denied the allegations, while Besigye’s family and supporters have continued to raise concerns about the case and his health. The former presidential candidate is being tried in absentia after health problems prevented him from attending court.
The dispute over the video timestamp is now expected to remain an important issue as the trial continues, with the defence likely to scrutinise the reliability, timing and circumstances surrounding the recordings.
For Besigye’s family, the recollection of his presence at Kasangati on May 24, 2020, is evidence that they believe raises serious questions about the prosecution’s presentation of the video material. The court will ultimately determine how the evidence should be interpreted as the treason proceedings continue.
