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Five remanded for aggravated human trafficking, kidney harvesting
Five people accused of aggravated human trafficking cover their faces with hoods as they appeared before Nakawa Chief Magistrate on February 25, 2022.
What you need to know:
Prosecution alleges that the company, its bosses and others still at large between December 2019 and October 2021 between Kampala district and Saudi Arabia organized, facilitated and/or made preparations for sending to receiving or confining of Judith Nakintu by means of fraud or deceit or abuse of power of position of vulnerability for purposes of removal of a body part or organ.
Five employees of a labour export recruitment firm in Uganda have been charged with aggravated trafficking in human organs and remanded to prison.
The suspects include two directors of Nile Treasure Gate Ltd; Abubakar Sulaiman Kato, 33 and Mariam Muhammad, 31. Others are Mohammed Salmah, 43, a board member, Ali Hassan Male, 38, Company treasure and Jeniffer Milly Naluga, 32, supervisor.
They were jointly indicted with their company, Nile Treasure Gate Ltd for allegedly using deceitful means to recruit and make preparations to send, receive and confine a one, Judith Nakintu, to Saudi Arabia for purposes of removing her kidney.
The suspects, on Friday, appeared before Nakawa Chief Magistrate, Elizabeth Akullo Ogwal and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecution alleges that the company, its bosses and others still at large between December 2019 and October 2021 between Kampala district and Saudi Arabia organized, facilitated and/or made preparations for sending to receiving or confining of Judith Nakintu by means of fraud or deceit or abuse of power of position of vulnerability for purposes of removal of a body part or organ.
It is further stated that for the purpose of exploitation, Nakintu suffered mutilation or suffered a life-threatening illness which offence was committed by a syndicate.
The state prosecutor, Mr Joseph Kyomuhendo, asked court to commit the suspects to the International Crimes of the High Court Division for trial once police are done with their investigations.
The suspects were remanded to Kitalya and Kigo prisons until March 14 when they’ll return to court for further mention of the case.
Nakintu’s family accuse the labour export recruitment firm for soliciting and sending her to Jeddah on December 12, 2019, as a housemaid where she was mistreated for several months and later repatriated with a missing right kidney.
The family stated that while in Saudi Arabia, Nakintu underwent an ‘unexplained’ surgical procedure which resulted into a stroke that paralyzed her and rendered her helpless.
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