Donge told the court Tuesday that the deceased before his death on March 19 this year wrote a will leaving instruction to his daughter to have his body buried at his home in Unyama Sub-County.
Justice Buteera however, says there have been some instances in which advocates have had resistance to the parties going for alternative dispute resolution due to concerns about earning their legal fees.
David Opobo, one of the victims and a victim’s representative in Abera village in Pabbo Sub- County, says the verdict was long overdue but notes that it marks a journey of hope for people affected by the atrocities.
Kwoyelo was found guilty by the court of committing 44 out of the 78 counts he was indicted in a long-awaited verdict delivered on Tuesday at ICD sitting at the Gulu High Court in Northern Uganda.
The judgement in Kwoyelo's case is set to be delivered by a Trial panel of four judges consisting of Justices Michael Elubu, Duncan Gaswaga, Stephen Mubiru, and Andrew Bashaija.
Juliet Harty Hatanga, the Deputy Registrar of the ICD told Uganda Radio Network in an interview the judgment in the case will be a landmark for the court which has been handling the trial for over a decade.
They told the court to disregard Kwoyelo’s defence alibi, find him guilty as charged and convict him accordingly on the 69 counts that relate to murder, kidnapping with intent to murder, pillaging, aggravated robbery, cruel treatment, enslavement, torture, rape, and outrages upon personal dignity.
Juliet Harty Hatanga, the Deputy Registrar of the International Crimes Division of the High Court says the assessors opinions reflect an ordinary person’s perspective on the case based on evidence presented in court since they are not legal experts.
His son Robinson Kaunda and other family members had scheduled on Saturday to bury Okoya at his home in Latyeng village, Agonga Parish in Bungatira Sub-county, Gulu District according to his son.
Juliet Harty Hatanga, the ICD Deputy Registrar told Uganda Radio Network Monday that despite Justice Gaswaga's new role at the African Court, he will continue sitting on the panel in the trial of Kwoyelo until the case is concluded.
Juliet Harty Hatanga, the ICD Deputy Registrar told Uganda Radio Network in an interview on Wednesday that the closure of the defence hearing is a significant milestone in the trial of Kwoyelo which had dragged on since 2019.
Kony revealed that on the night he was arrested, a spirit known as Mama Cellini from Sudan had told him that Kwoyelo was innocent. The spirit, a guardian of the sick people reportedly cautioned him that if he killed Kwoyelo, he would also be killed the same way.
While presenting an unsworn statement before a four-member panel of justices of the ICD sitting at Gulu High Court Tuesday, Kwoyelo said he has heard the court referring to him as Latoni yet it’s not his name.
In a ruling, Justice Duncan Gaswaga noted that since the accused has asserted the rights against self-incrimination by opting to give an unsworn statement, he loses the right to the assistance of the counsel although he gains the advantage of not being cross-examined.
Juliet Harty Hatanga, the Deputy Registrar of the Division told Uganda Radio Network Monday that Kwoyelo’s Defence team has so far lined up 30 defense witnesses for the trial hearing commencing next week at Gulu High Court.
The Judges have set October 15 this year as the date for the commencement of confirmation of charges hearing against Kony in his absentia should he not appear. He faces 33 counts of charges of war crimes and crimes against Humanity allegedly committed between July 1, 2002, and December 31, 2005, in northern Uganda.
Over the weekend, relatives of the victims of the alleged attack complained that the delayed trials had affected the relocation of the remains of their relatives for decent reburials in their ancestral homes.
