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Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Arua Grade One Magistrates Court has remanded two people over allegations of trafficking in children.
The suspects Sabiri Siraji 27, and his co accused Geriya Salima 28, appeared before Christine Imalingat, the acting senior Grade One Magistrate Arua on Tuesday afternoon.
They were arrested on 1st February, 2023 by police at Arua hotel in Arua city on the orders of the Arua Resident City Commissioner, Alice Akello following an intelligence report that the suspects were keeping a group of over 40 children at Continental Hotel in Arua Central Division, to be allegedly transported to Al-Rahman Islamic Primary and secondary school which is located along Kampala- Bombo-Luwero road.
According to the charge sheet, Siraji and his co accused Salima are accused of committing 32 counts of which 23 are counts of obtaining money by false pretense and 9 counts of aggravated trafficking in children and trafficking in persons. They were only allowed to take plea on the 23 counts of obtaining money by false pretense since it falls within the mandate of the court they appeared before.
Accordingly, Magistrate Imalingat remanded the duo until March 14, 2023 when they will appear and take a plea on the other counts before the Arua Chief Magistrate’s court.
But Josephine Angucia, the West Nile Region Police spokesperson told Uganda Radio Network that they also plan to follow up on other cases the suspects allegedly committed in Maracha and Nebbi district after concluding on the current charges.
“Meanwhile, police will follow up those committed in Maracha, Nebbi and Ayivu West division after concluding those 30 charges,” she noted.
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