Witness shows court ‘power banks and watches’ used to record Besigye treason evidence

Witness shows court ‘power banks and watches’ used to record Besigye treason evidence

A British-American national, Andrew Wilson, has presented to court a collection of recording devices he allegedly used to secretly capture meetings with veteran opposition politician Kizza Besigye and his associate, Joel Wakayima.

Wilson told court that he recorded the meetings in Geneva, Switzerland; Athens, Greece; and Nairobi, Kenya, capturing both audio and visual content using covert devices disguised as ordinary household and personal items.

While being led in evidence by prosecutor Richard Birivumbuka, Wilson presented a covert camera disguised as a wall USB charger, which he said he used during a meeting in Geneva. He also presented a small audio recording device that he said was placed on a steel radiator during the same meeting.

At the second meeting, Wilson said he used a disguised power bank placed on the meeting table, with a spy camera embedded inside it.

In Athens, he told court, he used two watches fitted with covert cameras. One of the watches was worn by an associate who was seated at a table across from him.

Wilson further told court that he used an audio recording device disguised as a necklace, which he wore around his neck.

“This looks like a teardrop, and on top there is an opening used for charging and extracting information,” Wilson told court while describing the device.

He also claimed that he transferred the recorded material to a power bank, which he presented to court.

“I needed to transfer the information because I travel a lot, and I didn’t want to be found with material that suggested plans to overthrow the government or dealings in illegal currency,” Wilson said.

Wilson presented the devices ahead of a highly anticipated session in which he is expected to play the audio and video recordings he says he captured during the meetings.

Notably, Wilson was unable to identify the manufacturers of the devices while giving his evidence. He could only describe the type and intended use of the equipment.

Wilson also tendered two mobile phones for identification, telling court that he had used them to communicate with Besigye and Wakayima.