Political scientist Moses Khisa has questioned the prosecution’s reliance on American national Andrew Wilson Orlando as a key witness in the treason case against opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye.
Khisa described the circumstances surrounding Orlando’s role in the case as unusual, particularly given allegations that the witness himself approached Besigye with a proposal involving the assassination of President Yoweri Museveni as a means of overthrowing the government.
“So a guy tells Dr Kizza Besigye, they should assassinate the president as the best way to overthrow the government,” Khisa said.
He questioned how Orlando subsequently became a principal prosecution witness against the very person he allegedly approached with the proposal.
“He sells that plan to Dr Besigye. The same guy then becomes a star witness against the person to whom he was selling a plan!” Khisa added.
His remarks come as Orlando’s testimony assumes significance in the prosecution’s case against Besigye and co-accused Obeid Lutale.
The prosecution has presented Orlando as a central witness in the case, with allegations that he had interactions with individuals linked to the alleged plot against the Ugandan government. The State has sought to use evidence arising from those interactions to establish elements of its treason case.
Besigye, a prominent opposition leader and former presidential candidate, has denied the allegations against him. His defence team has also challenged aspects of the prosecution’s evidence and raised questions about Orlando’s credibility and the circumstances surrounding his interactions with the accused.
Khisa acknowledged that he was not offering a legal opinion on whether Orlando’s evidence is admissible or sufficient to sustain a treason conviction.
“Rather strange and convoluted, but then I know nothing about the law, especially as related to a high crime of treason,” he said.
The political scientist’s comments highlight a broader question surrounding the prosecution’s narrative: whether the circumstances under which a prosecution witness became involved in an alleged criminal plot could affect the weight attached to his testimony.
The case has attracted considerable public attention because of Besigye’s longstanding opposition to Museveni’s government and the severity of the treason allegations.
As the proceedings continue, the court will ultimately determine what evidential weight should be attached to Orlando’s account and whether the prosecution can establish the charges against Besigye and his co-accused to the required legal standard.