By Wetondo Denis Julius
MBALE
Police in Bududa district, Bugisu Sub region in Eastern Uganda are on the spot for allegedly releasing a suspect who raped and chopped off the left hand of his 16 year victim.
Derrick Kuloba, aged 25 and a resident of Nakatsi Sub County in Bududa was last year in August arrested and charges of aggravated defilement, rape and attempted murder slapped on him at Bududa Central Police Station.
However, two days later, Kuloba, to the surprise of the victim’s parents was a free man roaming the streets of the same village.
Now, Mariam Mwize, the Human Rights Executive Director Overseas Worker’s Voice Uganda, has accused the police for allegedly taking a Shs2Million bribe to sweep the case under the carpet.
Speaking to the Media yesterday 22nd March 2021 at her offices in Bududa, Mwize said that parents of the victim failed to get justice because they are poor and for that reason opted to go to her office for support.
Mwize adds that medical doctors at Bududa hospital where the victim was taken for treatment after the incident want five million shillings to treat the chopped left hand and right hand which was also seriously injured.
She urged the concerned authorities to intervene into the matter such that the 16 year old girl and family can get justice.
Evelyn Khaitsa, the biological mother of the victim says since her girl was defiled, raped and her hand chopped off by Kuloba who is out freely currently, the girl can’t go back to school and her future is now doomed.
She adds that that after coming to Human rights for support they receive threats from the suspect every day. She pleads to police and other relevant security officers to give them protection.
Rogers Taitika the Elgon region police spokesperson admitted that the case was registered at police in August last year but denied allegations of police taking the Shs2million bribe to drop the case.
He said that Kuloba was given police bond as all Ugandans urging the parents of the victim to access his office for more explanation saying that the case is still at Manafwa Magistrate’s Court.
(Defilement, rape and attempted murder are all capital offences only triable by the High Court and not Magistrate’s Court. ED)
