Former President Idi Amin’s son, Lumumba Amin, has raised questions over the identity of the person who secretly recorded meetings involving opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and prosecution witness Andrew Wilson Orlando.
Amin’s comments came after Orlando testified before the High Court in Kampala about his alleged role in an undercover operation targeting Besigye and his associates in a case in which they are accused of plotting to overthrow President Yoweri Museveni’s government.
Orlando told court that he used covert recording equipment, including a camera concealed inside a mobile power bank, to capture meetings.
However, Amin said the recordings raised a separate question that he believes should be addressed in court.
According to Amin, the audio contains the voice of a third person speaking English with what he described as a Germanic or Scandinavian accent. Drawing on his previous experience as a sound engineer in broadcasting, Amin said he believes the voice may belong to the individual who operated the concealed recording equipment.
“Justice requires that he also testifies,” Amin argued, saying the unidentified person should explain his role in the meetings and recordings.
Amin presented two possible interpretations of the third party’s involvement. He said the person could potentially have been an accomplice in the alleged plot against Museveni or, alternatively, could have been involved in an operation intended to frame Besigye for a coup attempt.
The issue comes as the prosecution builds its case around Orlando’s testimony and covert recordings. Orlando told court that he posed as a wealthy foreign financier, used a fictitious company and offered $5 million, weapons and military training to gain the confidence of Besigye and his associates. He said he later cooperated with Ugandan security agencies.
He further alleged that discussions involved weapons, paramilitary training in Kisumu, Kenya, attacks in Kampala and an alleged plan to assassinate Museveni using drones. These allegations have not been established as facts, and Besigye has denied accusations that he sought to overthrow the government by force.
Amin’s intervention therefore shifts attention from the substance of Orlando’s testimony to the provenance and authenticity of the recordings, raising questions about who was present, who operated the recording equipment and what role that person played in the wider operation.
The court is expected to examine the recordings alongside other prosecution evidence as the trial continues.