Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has issued a last warning to the state for its sloppiness in the case in which Gilbert Arinaitwe Bwana, a police officer who came to limelight in 2011 for smashing Dr. Kizza Besigye’s car and sprayed him with pepper is accused of human trafficking.
When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, Buganda Road Chief Magistrate, Ronald Kayizzi said he was adjourning the case for the last time after the state failed to present witnesses.
He gave an ultimatum of February, 7 , adding he will have no other option but dismiss the case if witnesses are not presented on the next court sitting.
The development followed information by the prosecutor, Judith Nyamwiza to court that she had failed to get witnesses in the case as they are unreachable on their known telephone contacts.
The chief magistrate said that Arinaitwe is on interdiction, receiving half pay for five months now and not deployed which is a disservice to him if the case delays.
He asked court to present witnesses in the case on the next adjournment date or else he will dismiss it.
He adjourned it to February, 7, 2024.
The case
Arinaitwe, 43 is accused of aggravated trafficking contrary to section 3(1) (a) and (4)(h) of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2009 .
Prosecution alleges that Arinaitwe Bwana Gilbert and others still at large on June, 23, 2023 at Nalumunye-Bandwe, Kyengera Town Council in the Wakiso District recruited or maintained or confined or transported or transferred or haboured or received or facilitated aforementioned acts on Namukasa Joan by means of threat or use of force other forms of coercion or deception or abuse of power or position of vulnerability for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labour or involuntarily servitude or debt bondage.
He denied the charges.
