'Fake' kidnap Anglican Priest case pushed to August 19

The Nakawa Chief Magistrate's court has adjourned the case in which Rev.Isaac Mwesigwa was charged with giving false information to a public officer, to August 19.

The offence attracts a penalty of three years in prison on conviction.

When the case came up for hearing of Wednesday, the state prosecutor handling the matter was indisposed, which prompted Chief Magistrate, Dr. Daglous Singiza to adjourn the case to August 19, for hearing.

Rev. Mwesigwa, 37, was serving as an Assistant Vicar at St. John's Cathedral Kasaka in Central Buganda Diocese, at the time of his alleged disappearance.

He went missing early this year and suddenly resurfaced during a church service at St. Peters Church in Soroti, in Eastern Uganda.

The clergy at St. Peter's Church took him to St. Stephens Church in Soroti town where the then Church of Uganda Archbishop, Stanley Ntagali, was leading prayers.

Early this year, Rev.Mwesigwa appeared before chief magistrate Ruth Nabaasa and was charged with giving false information contrary to section 115 of the penal code Act, charges he denied. 

The Chief Magistrate released him on a cash bail of sh1m after presenting substantial sureties, one of them being his mother. Each surety was bonded at a non-cash bail of sh5m.

The charges

The prosecution alleges that on February 12, 2020, at the counter-terrorism headquarters in Naguru, Rev. Mwesigwa gave information about his kidnap by armed persons knowing or believing the same to be false.

Though Rev.Mwesigwa claims he had been kidnapped by armed men in civilian clothes; the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) publicist, Charles Twine said the priest was captured on surveillance cameras as he left his car at a hotel in Sonde, Mukono district, and boarded a bodaboda to an unknown destination.

Police revealed that cameras captured Rev.Mwesigwa on the fateful Sunday evening driving his car, a white Toyota Raum registration number UAR 468D, to City Executive Hotel in Sonde, before he jumped on a bodaboda disappeared towards Mukono side.

The priest's family members said the priest dropped his wife in Kyebando, Kawempe division, at around 6:00 pm before he left for Uganda Christian University where he was supposed to have an exam on Monday.

Police said Rev.Mwesigwa, who left Kyebando at 6:00 pm, was instead captured on camera at City Executive Hotel in Sonde at 9:47 pm.

But in his statement at police, the priest said he was cornered by armed men in plain clothes, who ordered him out of his car and kidnapped him. 

"I was driving, so I wanted to use Northern bypass to Uganda Christian University. But when I reached Sonde, I saw a vehicle following me. I packed aside to allow them to pass but unfortunately, they went in front of me and blocked me," Mwesigwa recalled.

Rev.Mwesigwa said after the armed men blocked him and came out of their car with guns, he called his uncle, Stanley Sempira, to inform him about the incident.

Rev.Mwesigwa further said he was blindfolded all the way to Soroti (350km away from Sonde) where he was dropped and he later unmasked himself.

The priest reportedly told the Soroti priests that, it took the bodaboda rider 30mimutes to arrive at St. Peters Cathedral.

Police said Rev.Mwesigwa's phones were switched on, but he was not picking, and that they went off immediately after they discovered his vehicle at City Executive Hotel in Sonde.

The priest was also reportedly found with his phones.

Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, said the priest was found to be weak but in good health, with no injuries suffered upon evaluation by the medical team.