Legislator slaps beggar over child abuse
May 24, 2010
THERE was drama at the Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) yesterday when the Kasese Woman MP Winifred Kiiza slapped a Karimojong beggar during a press briefing.
By Patrick Jaramogi
THERE was drama at the Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) yesterday when the Kasese Woman MP Winifred Kiiza slapped a Karimojong beggar during a press briefing.
Kiiza was at the Police station to report a case against Edward Smith, alias Ali Mubarak, over attempting to con her of sh50m in a fake gold deal.
But she turned her attention on Lukiyo Agino, a 23-year-old Karimojong girl, who was arrested over child abuse.
The drama unfolded when the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Henry Kalulu, dragged in Lukiyo along with a malnourished two-year-old child she was using as bait to get money from sympathisers.
“This lady has been arrested in connection with torturing this innocent child. She has been using this child to solicit cash in the streets. This is child abuse,†said Kalulu. “And the worst part of it all is that the child is not even hers,†Kalulu explained
The child belongs to Lokwere Mongesi, another Karimojong woman who was already under Police custody.
The MP, who was seated next to Kalulu during the press briefing, walked towards Lukiyo who was seated about three metres away.
“Why do you subject this child to such acts?†asked Kiiza.
The legislator demanded to know whether Lukiyo knew the pains of childbirth.
Lukiyo, who apparently did not understand the question, laughed instead, angering the MP further. This prompted her to swing a slap into her face, sending the journalists into laughter.
â€Mwongere (slap her more),†some journalists shouted.
Lukiyo started crying as the furious MP added another slap before she was blocked from landing another whack.
Lukiyo was then whisked away by the Police to another room.
Kalulu declined to state whether Kiiza would be reprimanded for assaulting a suspect in Police custody. He instead said the two Karimojong women would face charges of child neglect.
Several Karimojong children beg on various streets in the city. Efforts to take them off the streets have so far failed. When the city council rounds them up, they somehow reappear after a few weeks. The council says the children are ferried back by “unfriendly†people.
Meanwhile, the Police are holding the Asian man over trying to extort money from the Woman MP. Edward Smith was nabbed in Parliament just as he was to about rip Kiiza of $25,000 (sh50m).
He had allegedly promised the MP ‘gold’ worth sh50m, which she would sell for about sh70m and make a profit of sh20m.
Smith, whom the Police showed to journalists yesterday, reportedly belongs to a city gang carrying out “intellectual robbery.â€
Smith’s mother is Egyptian, while the father is from Yemen but the son says he is a Ugandan of Asian origin, the Police disclosed.
The gang, according to Kalulu, has been engaged in extortion rackets, targeting leading businessmen and politicians.
“We have a case of a leading businessman who was conned of sh1b early this year by this ‘muzungu’ after he promised him gold. The businessman (name withheld) had to sell his prime land and get bank loans to sustain his business,†said Kalulu.
Also arrested were three other people over trying to con Geoffrey Anouk, a city businessman, of sh36m. John Mugisa, Daniel Okot from Gulu and Abubaker Masaba from Busia were arrested from Quality Super Market in Old Kampala.
“They tricked Anouk that they had brought him gold. But when he checked the polythene bag, it contained a packet of glucose biscuits and juice,†Kalulu said.
In the same swoop, George William Kasirivu, the manager of a Kasirex Company Limited, was also arresrted. Kasirivu, who once worked in Iraq as a guard, is allegedly behind the theft of money from over 300 Ugandans who were working in Iraq.
“He was smart and evaded the Police like Osama Bin Laden does. He doesn’t board cars and walks between midnight and 5:00am. But we finally pounced on him,†said Kalulu.
Kasirivu, dressed in a dark blue suit, looked composed as journalists took his picture. He even smiled during the interaction.
He is accused of obtaining sh750m from the Ugandans, promising them jobs in Afghanistan.
“He was smart. He personally called these innocent boys from Iraq and sent them e-mails. The boys were earning $700 (sh1.4m in Iraq) but he promised them $3,000 (sh6m) for jobs in Afghanistan. The boys saw this as a lucrative deal and abandoned their Iraq jobs,†explained Kalulu.
He said once they jetted into the country, Kasirivu asked his “prey†to deposit sh2.5m into his Stanbic Bank in Lugogo.
“After getting their money, he engaged a cat-and-mouse game, shifting offices daily from Mengo, Kajjansi, Ntinda, Lugazi, Natete and Nsambya,†said
Kasirivu’s lack ran out when some of his new clients called him, promising him more money on Saturday.
“As he rushed to pick the money, his older clients had mobilised and handed him over to the Police,†he said.
Kasirivu faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of obtaining money by false pretence. The Police have urged people who were promised jobs in Iraq by Kasirivu to report to CPS.
THERE was drama at the Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) yesterday when the Kasese Woman MP Winifred Kiiza slapped a Karimojong beggar during a press briefing.
Kiiza was at the Police station to report a case against Edward Smith, alias Ali Mubarak, over attempting to con her of sh50m in a fake gold deal.
But she turned her attention on Lukiyo Agino, a 23-year-old Karimojong girl, who was arrested over child abuse.
The drama unfolded when the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Henry Kalulu, dragged in Lukiyo along with a malnourished two-year-old child she was using as bait to get money from sympathisers.
“This lady has been arrested in connection with torturing this innocent child. She has been using this child to solicit cash in the streets. This is child abuse,†said Kalulu. “And the worst part of it all is that the child is not even hers,†Kalulu explained
The child belongs to Lokwere Mongesi, another Karimojong woman who was already under Police custody.
The MP, who was seated next to Kalulu during the press briefing, walked towards Lukiyo who was seated about three metres away.
“Why do you subject this child to such acts?†asked Kiiza.
The legislator demanded to know whether Lukiyo knew the pains of childbirth.
Lukiyo, who apparently did not understand the question, laughed instead, angering the MP further. This prompted her to swing a slap into her face, sending the journalists into laughter.
â€Mwongere (slap her more),†some journalists shouted.
Lukiyo started crying as the furious MP added another slap before she was blocked from landing another whack.
Lukiyo was then whisked away by the Police to another room.
Kalulu declined to state whether Kiiza would be reprimanded for assaulting a suspect in Police custody. He instead said the two Karimojong women would face charges of child neglect.
Several Karimojong children beg on various streets in the city. Efforts to take them off the streets have so far failed. When the city council rounds them up, they somehow reappear after a few weeks. The council says the children are ferried back by “unfriendly†people.
Meanwhile, the Police are holding the Asian man over trying to extort money from the Woman MP. Edward Smith was nabbed in Parliament just as he was to about rip Kiiza of $25,000 (sh50m).
He had allegedly promised the MP ‘gold’ worth sh50m, which she would sell for about sh70m and make a profit of sh20m.
Smith, whom the Police showed to journalists yesterday, reportedly belongs to a city gang carrying out “intellectual robbery.â€
Smith’s mother is Egyptian, while the father is from Yemen but the son says he is a Ugandan of Asian origin, the Police disclosed.
The gang, according to Kalulu, has been engaged in extortion rackets, targeting leading businessmen and politicians.
“We have a case of a leading businessman who was conned of sh1b early this year by this ‘muzungu’ after he promised him gold. The businessman (name withheld) had to sell his prime land and get bank loans to sustain his business,†said Kalulu.
Also arrested were three other people over trying to con Geoffrey Anouk, a city businessman, of sh36m. John Mugisa, Daniel Okot from Gulu and Abubaker Masaba from Busia were arrested from Quality Super Market in Old Kampala.
“They tricked Anouk that they had brought him gold. But when he checked the polythene bag, it contained a packet of glucose biscuits and juice,†Kalulu said.
In the same swoop, George William Kasirivu, the manager of a Kasirex Company Limited, was also arresrted. Kasirivu, who once worked in Iraq as a guard, is allegedly behind the theft of money from over 300 Ugandans who were working in Iraq.
“He was smart and evaded the Police like Osama Bin Laden does. He doesn’t board cars and walks between midnight and 5:00am. But we finally pounced on him,†said Kalulu.
Kasirivu, dressed in a dark blue suit, looked composed as journalists took his picture. He even smiled during the interaction.
He is accused of obtaining sh750m from the Ugandans, promising them jobs in Afghanistan.
“He was smart. He personally called these innocent boys from Iraq and sent them e-mails. The boys were earning $700 (sh1.4m in Iraq) but he promised them $3,000 (sh6m) for jobs in Afghanistan. The boys saw this as a lucrative deal and abandoned their Iraq jobs,†explained Kalulu.
He said once they jetted into the country, Kasirivu asked his “prey†to deposit sh2.5m into his Stanbic Bank in Lugogo.
“After getting their money, he engaged a cat-and-mouse game, shifting offices daily from Mengo, Kajjansi, Ntinda, Lugazi, Natete and Nsambya,†said
Kasirivu’s lack ran out when some of his new clients called him, promising him more money on Saturday.
“As he rushed to pick the money, his older clients had mobilised and handed him over to the Police,†he said.
Kasirivu faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of obtaining money by false pretence. The Police have urged people who were promised jobs in Iraq by Kasirivu to report to CPS.