As the magistrate walked into the re examination session, his lawyer quietly summoned him and after a few whispers he went back to the Dock.
Shortly after, he raised his hand and told the magistrate he was too sick to talk. The magistrate then asked the prison wardens if it was true and they said he claimed he was feeling sick no sooner had he boarded the prison bus.
Reagan Ssentongo was to be re-examined by his lawyers after facing a tough cross examination last week by State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya.
As he claimed he was sick after a quiet discussion with his Lawyers Humprey Tumwesigye and Robert Ojambo, there were muffled murmurs from those in attendance.
Time and again the suspects in the Trespass and conspiracy to Blackmail case have sought adjournments when things went south for them. Backed by their funder Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga and through his lawyers led by Robert Ojambo and Humprey Tumwesigye they have many times come up with reasons to gave the case adjourned and has hence seen the case drag on for over 4 years
With clear signs of coached testimonies , some of the suspects refused to testify under oath but the Ssenyonga backed cartel relied on their star witness Reagan Ssentongo. Ssentongo is a convicted criminal had previously sounded composed as he testified but last week everything crumbled like a pack of cards as he admitted that he agreed to the whole plot to blackmail Pastor Robert Kayanja as a result of delayed salaries.
This must have caught Ssenyonga and company off guard. Ssentongo was convicted in Kiryandogo for aggravated assault and Robbery.
As he testified last week he admitted that he made the allegations after being advised by his former colleagues, but maintained that his main concern was for pastor Kayanja to pay his salary he had worked for as a security manager at the Kiryandongo Farm.
Ssentongo said he had never wanted to fabricate any allegations against Pastor Kayanja but wanted the pastor to pay him money he was demanding after he worked at Pastor Kayanja’s farm.
He said he made the allegations of homosexuality following advice from a group of people . It is on Record that Pastor Ssenyonga hired Matia Maganda his former employee to coach the accused suspects on what to say in the blackmail against Kayanja
While grilling him the he prosecution referred to several messages sent by Ssentongo to pastor Kayanja between May and July 2021in which he repeatedly asked for his salary arrears .
In one message dated May 5, 2021, Ssentongo asked Kayanja to help him with his salary so that he could start something in the village because life was hard for him.
However, when Muwaganya asked him whether he was demanding salary arrears or money connected to the sodomy allegations, Ssentongo maintained that he was demanding for his salary and he will not stop until he is paid .
The prosecution presented another message in which Ssentongo reminded Kayanja of a promise to pay him.
Asked to read pastor Kayanja’s response to his repeated demand messages ,
Ssentongo read ” pastor Kayanja responded that Ssentongo had quit his job and that he was looking for his money, which he did not have at the time.
Ssentongo also confirmed that by May 2021, he had left his employment as a security manager at Pastor Kayanja’s farm .
The prosecution also referred to messages in which Ssentongo complained about the difficulties of village life and asked Kayanja to help him with his salary, saying he was out of money and had nothing to eat for breakfast.
The prosecution also referred to a message in which Ssentongo apologised to Kayanja, saying he did not want to hurt him and that he had acted on the advice of other people.
Muwaganya put it to Ssentongo that after his efforts to obtain money from Kayanja failed, he resorted to other means, including involving bloggers, to exert pressure on the pastor.
The prosecution told court that Ssentongo engaged bloggers, including Lumbuye and SB4, as part of a campaign against Kayanja.
Muwaganya also brought proof that Ssentongo communicated with people described as historical enemies of Kayanja and that some individuals were being protected because they were allegedly behind the blackmail campaign.
The prosecution referred to a message in which Ssentongo allegedly stated that the “next stop over is Makerere Kavule.” Muwaganya interpreted this message to mean Ssentongo was referring stepping-stone at pastor Jackson Ssenyonga’s Church.
Court has been also shown screenshots of alleged communication between a former group member, Kisakye Collins, and Pastor Solomon Male and David Kiganda who are believed to be sworn enemies of pastor Kayanja .
The prosecution further played voice recordings in which Ssentongo was heard discussing to reach Salt FM, a radio station associated with Pastor Aloysius Bugingo to help with his smear campaign.
When asked about the recordings, Ssentongo confirmed that he was the voice belongs to him .
Muwaganya put it to Ssentongo that his objective was to force pastor Kayanja to pay him .
The prosecutor further asked Ssentongo whether his position was that if the money was not paid, he would cause chaos.
Ssentongo answered in the affirmative.
The court heard that Ssentongo’s outstanding balance as of May 2021 was Sh4m, which he confirmed.
Reliable sources have revealed to this publication that the lawyers Ssenyonga hired to defend the suspects are up in arms over unpaid legal fees and have threatened to withdraw from the case .
Reliable sources revealed that the lawyers Ssenyonga hired to defend the accused are up in arms over unpaid legal fees and and are threatening to withdraw from the case.
