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Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo has withdrawn the case of aggravated trafficking in persons against Kisoro Municipality National Resistance Movement (NRM) party vice-chairperson Ramathan Ndikuyeze.

Assistant DPP Thomas Jatiko on February 15, 2024, informed the International Crimes Division of the High Court that the DPP had discontinued the proceedings against the accused in a letter dated January 15, 2024.

The court was presided over by Justice Richard Wejuli Wabwire. However, the DPP did not give reasons for the withdrawal of the case.

The letter was addressed to the Chief Magistrate of Kisoro Court Kenneth Komakech and copied to the Kisoro Court Resident State Attorney and the Regional Criminal Investigations Directorate Officer Kigezi Region.

It was alleged that Ndikuyeze being a public officer between September 2021 and November 2021 in Kisoro and Kabale districts recruited or received or harboured Sarah Mbabazi using abuse of power or position of vulnerability for sexual exploitation.

Investigations

Investigations into this matter commenced when the complainant a one George Mugisha reported the disappearance of her biological daughter, Mbabazi, to the Police at Kampala Metropolitan and Nansana Police Station.

Police later established that Mbabazi was a Senior Three student at Kisoro Progressive Secondary School. It was also established that the victim was living with her parents, Mugisha and Apophia Duhirwe and her elder sister, Deborah Twizere.

According to Police, during the Covid-19 pandemic that led to the closure of schools in 2021, the victim became bored and decided to search for a job. She then landed on the accused who made promises of setting up a business for her and giving her one of his buildings as opposed to making her an employee.

Subsequently, Ndikuyeze allegedly gave the victim his number and they frequently communicated. The duo also met several times and the accused allegedly sexually exploited the victim.

In addition, Police discovered that the accused lured the victim to his home without her parent’s permission with promises of making her his wife. Ndikuyeze also purportedly gave the victim shillings 400,000 for shopping.

However, when Mbabazi returned home, she was traumatised after discovering that she was pregnant and she dropped out of school.

The victim then escaped to Kampala, where she got a job as a housemaid. Later, she got complications and contacted her relatives. This prompted the father to report the case to the Police, resulting in the accused’s arrest.