The defence of six people accused of murdering seven-year-old Joan Faith Apio has received a boost after the High court in Soroti ordered the production of CCTV footage that the accused say could strengthen their case.
Justice Boniface Wamala directed that CCTV footage from Soroti Regional Referral Hospital and the Pride Bank branch in Soroti be produced after two of the accused, school directors Suzan Vivian Ariokot and Joseph Okedi, argued that the recordings could corroborate their accounts of where they were on the day the Primary One pupil was killed.
Joan Faith Apio, a pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School, was found dead in the school’s latrine on February 5, 2025. The court previously ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case, requiring all six accused to present their defence.
The accused are school directors Okedi and Ariokot, headteacher James Edoket, school cook Valentine Opio, school matron Osula Adong and police officer John Bosco Obotol. All have denied the murder charge.
While giving her defence, Ariokot told the court that she was at Pride Bank applying for a top-up loan when the incident occurred and only learnt of Apio’s death after receiving a phone call from her husband.
She further testified that following her arrest on February 11, 2025, police confiscated three mobile phones that she said were linked to CCTV cameras at her business premises, making it impossible for her to retrieve footage she believes could support her defence.
Ariokot also accused security personnel of violating her rights while in custody.
“When they arrested me, the police took my three phones… They later drove me to Serere CPS where my face was tied, and I was tortured… but I kept telling them the truth that I don’t even know who Apio is,” she told the court.
She maintained that Pride Bank was willing to provide CCTV footage confirming she was at the bank at the time of the incident.
Okedi similarly asked the court to order the production of CCTV footage from Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, arguing that it would contradict the testimony of a prosecution witness who claimed he described the incident as an accident upon arriving at the hospital.
According to Okedi, he rushed Apio to the hospital immediately after pupils and school matron Osula Adong alerted him that she had been found unconscious in the school’s latrine.
The prosecution opposed the application, arguing that the defence had been aware of the trial schedule and had sufficient time to obtain the footage before the defence hearing commenced.
State prosecutors contended that the request had been made late in the proceedings and was intended to delay the trial, prolonging the anguish of the victim’s family.
However, Justice Wamala ruled that the accused were entitled to a fair opportunity to present their defence.
He ordered Pride Bank and Soroti Regional Referral Hospital to produce CCTV footage covering February 5, 2025, directing that the recordings be submitted while the remaining defence witnesses continue to testify.
The judge held that allowing the defence to obtain the footage would not prejudice the proceedings and cautioned that the exercise should not occasion unnecessary delays.
Only the two school directors have so far concluded presenting their defence. The remaining four accused are expected to testify when the trial resumes.
