Besigye tormentor Arinaitwe Bwana remanded human trafficking, rape

Gilbert Arinaitwe Bwana, the police officer who infamously pepper-sprayed opposition doyen Dr Kizza Besigye after smashing the window of his car with a pistol twelve years ago at Mulago roundabout has been remanded to Luzira prison.

Arinaitwe, who afterwards became a self-proclaimed pastor and also suffered from mental illness is this time around facing charges of aggravated trafficking in person. His victim alleges that she was subjected to sexual violence too. Arinaitwe on Thursday appeared before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court presided over by chief magistrate Ronald Kayizzi who read to him one charge which he denied.

Court heard that detective superintendent of police Arinaitwe and others still at large on June 23, 2023, at Nalumunye Bandwe Kyengera town council in the Wakiso district, recruited or maintained or confined or transported or transferred or harboured, facilitated or received a 23-year woman (names withheld) by means of threat or use of force other forms of coercion or deception or abuse of power or position of vulnerability for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labour or involuntarily servitude or debt bondage.

After denying the charges, Arinaitwe who is attached to police’s crime intelligence through his lawyer James Njogu applied for bail on grounds that the offence with which he is charged is bailable and that he is the sole breadwinner of his young family. He presented his mother Olive Bwana, Sandy Nicholas, a police officer and his cousin and his friend John Patrick Lukwiya as his sureties.

However, the prosecution led by senior state attorney Ivan Kyazze objected to Arinatiwe’s bail application saying he did not provide court a copy of his national ID card and LC I letter to confirm his residence. In his brief ruling, Kayizzi said he has been unwell to study the lengthy submissions and write a bail decision and consequently remanded Arinaitwe to Luzira prison until August 18.

According to police’s preliminary investigations, the victim intimated to her friend how she had been raped more than seven times and confined with no or little food at all on top of being not paid a salary.

As a result, the investigations show that the friend contacted the area’s local defence secretary who moved to rescue the victim from Arinaitwe’s home and accompanied her to make a formal report at Nateete police station. The victim is currently under the care of a non-governmental organization.