Detective Superintendent of Police Gilbert Arinaitwe Bwana, who gained notoriety for his actions against opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, has been granted bail while awaiting the hearing of a case in which he is charged with aggravated trafficking.
Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi granted Arinaitwe a cash bail of Shs2 million on Friday. The magistrate also approved his sureties, who were bonded for Shs10 million non-cash.
Chief Magistrate Kayizzi stated, “The applicant is a serving police officer. He presented his biological mother Olive Bwana and his brother, along with other individuals, as his sureties whom I find substantial and capable of ensuring his presence in court.” The case was adjourned to September 7 for mention.
Additionally, Kayizzi added, “I am convinced that the applicant will return to court but should also deposit his passport with the court.”
Arinaitwe, attached to the Crime Intelligence Directorate, faces charges of aggravated trafficking in persons before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court.
According to police spokesperson Fred Enanga, “Arinaitwe brought the 23-year-old female victim from Ntungamo District to work as a maid, allegedly coerced her into repeated acts of sex at his home in Wakiso District. The victim claims she was first raped at gunpoint in a Kampala house owned by Arinaitwe on the night of July 25, followed by threats not to report the matter.”
Prosecution alleges that “on June 23, 2023, Arinaitwe and others still at large, while at Nalumunye Bandwe, Kyengera Town Council in Wakiso District, recruited, maintained, confined, transported, transferred, harbored, received, or facilitated aforementioned acts on [victim’s name withheld] by means of threats, use of force, coercion, deception, abuse of power, or position of vulnerability for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced labor, involuntary servitude, or debt bondage.”
Arinaitwe has denied the charges against him, with his lawyer James Njogu applying for his bail on several grounds.
Meanwhile, Enanga revealed that “more charges [against Arinaitwe] are pending retrieval of DNA results.”
The victim is currently under the care of an undisclosed non-governmental organization (NGO) for protection as investigations continue.
