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Two Middle East Consultants bosses convicted of attempting to traffic 50 migrant workers
Middle East Consultants Labour Export Company general manager, Benon Kunywana (left) and the company's recruiting and vetting officer Godfrey Kyalimpa (centre) in the dock at Entebbe Chief Magistrate's Court on September 16, 2019. PHOTO | EVE MUGANGA
What you need to know:
- Justice Richard Wejuli Wabwire convicted the duo after they pleaded guilty to the three charges of promoting trafficking and forgery
The International Crimes Division of the High Court has convicted two Middle East Consultants bosses over charges of attempting to traffic 50 migrant workers.
Justice Richard Wejuli Wabwire convicted the duo after they pleaded guilty to the three charges of promoting trafficking and forgery.
The two Godfrey Kyalimpa,48, the recruitment and vetting officer and Benon Kunywana, 36, the general manager entered into a plea bargain with the state for a lesser punishment.
Prosecution led by Ms Jacquelyn Okui told court that they reached a plea bargain agreement with the duo’s lawyer considering the aggravating and mitigating circumstances of the case.
According to Ms Okui, there is a rise in trafficking in persons and related cases hence the need to punish offenders to deter would-be offenders.
“Each convict is to pay a fine of Shs2 million on each account of promoting trafficking or risk two years imprisonment. While the count of forgery a fine of Shs3 million or three years imprisonment,” Justice Wabwire held.
It was prosecution case that Kyalimpa and Kunywana on February 12, 2019 at Entebbe International Airport Wakiso District attempted to traffic 50 immigrant workers.
It is also stated that on the same day, the two forged an official document to wit a clearance list for migrant workers Re. LEI 74/286/11 purportedly signed by Mr Lawrence Egulu from the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development for purposes of trafficking.
According to the court documents, incidentally, Mr Egulu the commissioner in charge Employment Services at the ministry while at the airport that same day landed on the said list bearing his signature.
“On closer examination of the list, he identified that the purported signature had been scanned onto the document and that he had not participated in the clearing of those particular migrant workers for travel. Following the revelation, the travel of the 227 was cancelled pending investigations,” reads in part the court documents.
According to the court documents, the list was sent to the ministry for verification and it was discovered that only 227 migrant workers had been cleared by the ministry and not 277.
Court documents indicate that the ministry further wrote back confirming that Mr Egulu’s signature had been scanned and pasted on the document indicating forgery.
