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Anglican reverend arraigned in court over faking kidnap
Rev Isaac Mwesigwa, 37, in the dock at Nakawa Chief Magistrate's Court where he was charged with giving a public officer false information on February 21, 2020. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
- Prosecution insists that after a thorough investigation and viewing of CCTV footage by Mr Ojok, Rev. Mwesigwa was seen carefully parking his car at Namisigye village in Seeta Mukono and jumped on a motorcycle to a unknown destination.
An Anglican reverend who is accused of faking his own kidnap has been arraigned in court and charged.
Rev Isaac Mwesigwa appeared at Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s court on Friday and was charged with giving false information to a public officer.
He was arrested on Thursday by CID officers in Kampala after police obtained CCTV footage showing that he had exited his car without any attack from anyone, contrary to what he had told police earlier.
Rev Mwesigwa was found in Soroti District on February 12, three days after he went missing. He told police that he had been kidnapped by armed men on his way to deliver his research work at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Mukono.
In court, Rev Mwesigwa denied the charges and asked to be released on bail.
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Priest arrested over faking own kidnap- police
Rev Isaac Solomom Mwesigwa was recovered in Soroti on February 12 days after he went missing
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I was wrong captive, says abducted Mukono priest
The Rev Isaac Mwesigwa says he had parked at a petrol station when his captors grabbed him
The presiding chief magistrate, Ms Ruth Babasa, granted him Shs1 million cash bail while his three sureties were each bonded Shs5m not cash. The sureties are Stanley Sempiira, Robert Ndawula and Tabbitha Dembe Namboga.
Court was told that Rev Mwesigwa, a student at UCU and father four children is currently undergoing treatment at Mengo hospital over acute stress and abdominal pain.
The case was adjourned to March 2, 2020 for further mention.
Prosecution led by Joyce Apolot states that on February 12, 2020, while at the Counter -Terrorism police headquarters in Naguru -Kampala, Rev Mwesigwa, 37 gave false information to a one Jimmy Alex Ojok; a police officer attached to the said unit that on February 9, 2020, he had been kidnapped by unknown people well knowing that such information would cause the police officer to dedicate his time and resources to investigate it.
Prosecution insists that after a thorough investigation and viewing of CCTV footage by Mr Ojok, Rev. Mwesigwa was seen carefully parking his car at Namisigye village in Seeta Mukono and jumped on a motorcycle to an unknown destination.
