The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A Police officer Gilbert Arinaitwe Bwana has been arraigned before the International Crimes Division of the High Court on charges of aggravated trafficking.
On Tuesday, Arinaitwe was arraigned before Justice Dr Andrew Bashaija after completing investigations and subsequent committal from the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court.
However, Chief State Attorney Joseph Kyomuhendo informed the Court that he wanted an adjournment.
Kyomuhendo said he had agreed with Arinaitwe ‘s Lawyers Paul Idambi and Fred Bamwesigye to first serve them with the Prosecution’s evidence so that the accused person can ably prepare for his trial and defence to the said charges.
Dr Bashaija then adjourned the Pre-trial proceedings to October 17th 2024 to allow the State to disclose its evidence to the Defence lawyers before Arinaitwe can formally plead to the alleged crime.
The evidence before the Court indicates that Arinaitwe recruited, transported, and harboured his 23-year-old housemaid for purposes of sexual exploitation on June 23, 2023, at his home in Nalumunye-Bandwe, Kyengera town council.
Records show that the victim was staying in Ntungamo District with her father who happens to be a traditionalist and could not allow her to go to church, and she dropped out of school in 2018 due to sickness. Out of desperation, she decided to get married to a husband whom she later abandoned in 2022 because of mistreatment.
On the night of June 23rd 2023, Arinaitwe followed the victim to the bedroom and forcefully had unprotected sex with the victim, according to the court documents.
According to the court indictment drafted by Chief State Attorney Joseph Kyomuhendo on behalf of the DPP, Arinaitwe told the victim that she would be working for him as a housemaid at a monthly wage of 70,000 Shillings.
“That the accused person left his girlfriend in bed with just a towel wrapped around his waist, went to the kitchen where the victim was washing utensils made sexual gestures to the victim, and held her tightly and attempted to unwrap his towel but the victim pushed him away,” reads the court document.
The state contends that Arinaitwe’s girlfriend stayed for one week and left at the beginning of July 2023 and that after her departure, he found the victim in the sitting room, held her tight and attempted to unwrap his towel but again the victim pushed him away.
It alleged that on the same night after the departure of his girlfriend, Arinaitwe followed the victim to the bedroom and forcefully had unprotected sex with the victim.
“On 18th/07/2023, while in possession of a pistol, the accused person found the victim in the sitting watching TV and ordered her to lie on the long sofa set and had sex with her and thereafter he left…that on the several times, the victim had forceful sexual intercourse with the accused person, she managed to see his uncircumcised penis,” reads the documents.
Arinaitwe rose to the limelight after he pepper-sprayed Dr Kizza Besigye after smashing the window of his car with a pistol in 2011 at the Mulago roundabout.
He later became a self-proclaimed pastor and suffered and recovered from mental health issues.
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