Mystery surrounds whereabouts of Burundian asylum seeker
Oct 17, 2023
Sindayigaya, who was accompanied by several other relatives and lawyer Gawaya Tegulle, was seen moving from one office to another, at Entebbe airport, trying to trace Ntwari's whereabouts in vain.
Ntwari suspected to be missing. (Courtesy photo)
Julius Luwemba
Journalist @New Vision
________________________ Relatives of Ntwari Regis Marie camped at Aviation Police station at Entebbe Airport on Sunday evening
Hervine Sindayigaya, the wife of Ntwari Regis Marie, 28, pitched camp at the Aviation Police Station in Entebbe municipality on Sunday afternoon following a tip-off that her husband was to be deported back to Burundi, a country he had fled several years ago.
Sindayigaya, who was accompanied by several other relatives and lawyer Gawaya Tegulle, was seen moving from one office to another, at Entebbe airport, trying to trace Ntwari's whereabouts in vain.
While camped at the aviation Police, his relatives said Ntwari had been detained at Kireka Police Sation for over two weeks before they sought for a court order compelling security agencies to release him. The September 25, 2023, order by Igga Adiru, the acting senior grade one magistrate at Makindye court, ordered for the unconditional release of Regis Ntwari Marie from custody.
Sindayigaya said her husband was arrested again by security officers from the International Police (INTERPOL) Uganda and handed over to Uganda's Internal Affairs Ministry. Through Tegulle, Ntwari filed an application to the High Court barring his extradition to Burundi. On October 13, a court presided over by Justice Boniface Wamala, issued an order restraining Ntwari from being deported.
"An exparte interim order doth issue restraining the respondents, their servants, and/or agents from deporting the applicant until the hearing and disposal of the formal application for an interim order interpartes shall be heard," read the court order issued against the Attorney General and the director INTERPOL Uganda. While at Entebbe Airport on Sunday, Ntwari's relatives and the lawyer presented the court order to several officers, all of whom referred the matter to immigration offices.
Did the deportation take place?
Whereas Tegulle claims that his client was stealthily deported to Burundi, no official documents were presented to show how the exercise was carried out against a court order. Neither was he sighted at Entebbe airport on Sunday when the alleged deportation took place.
When contacted on the matter, Internal Affairs ministry spokesperson Simon Mundeyi said he was on leave, while Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said Ntwari was not in Police custody either.
When contacted, Josephine Apili Ali Ekwang, the commissioner of legal and inspection services in the internal affairs ministry asked whether the court order was addressed to immigration. 
"I'm in a meeting. Call me after the meeting," she texted. Our subsequent phone calls to Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafire went unanswered. However, it is yet to be established whether Ntwari was deported to Burundi, or is still detained somewhere within Uganda.
Alleged offence
A police bond given to Ntwari earlier on September 4, 2023, indicated that he had been accused of theft vide Ref.31/04/09/2023 and was required to keep reporting to the commandant Flying Squad Unit. The police bond did not, however, provide details of the theft charges faced by Ntwari.
Meanwhile, some documents seen by this reporter indicate that a letter from INTERPOL Burundi was addressed to INTERPOL Uganda on September 14, 2023, seeking to arrest and extradite Ntwari "for breach of trust involving a sum of $630,000".
"Ntwari Regis Marie was an employee of Ngendakumana Arsene in his gold trading business in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On July 29, 2023, while driving a service vehicle in which he was transporting a quantity of gold estimated at more than 10kg for a cost of $630,000, informed his boss that he had been arrested by armed robbers who took the gold," read in part the letter addressed to INTERPOL Uganda.
"Be informed that the victim, Ngendakumana, is ready to buy an air ticket for the suspect to be extradited by Uganda Airlines from Kampala to Bujumbura," concluded the letter which was signed by Frederic-Audney Minani, as the deputy head of NCB Bujumbura.
Another letter issued by Leonard Manirakiza, on behalf of the prosecutor general of Burundi indicated that Ntwari is being prosecuted for breach of trust involving $630,000, a criminal offence provided for and punished by Article 308 of the Burundian penal code.
Allegations denied
However, Sindayigaya, with whom Ntwari has a 2-year-old, denies the allegations saying her husband is being pursued for political reasons. "That is why he sought asylum in Uganda way back before all these said charges were slapped against him," she said, adding that her missing husband had studied his secondary and university education in Uganda before the couple got married in Uganda.
According to official documents, Ntwari sought a certificate of asylum which was granted on January 17, 2023, and has been renewed multiple times. It was meant to expire on November 19, 2023.
No Comment