By Catherine Apolot
Police have arrested a Born again pastor affiliated to Living Gospel Church in Mukono and The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries located in Ntinda for allegedly sodomising a 16-year-old male member of his flock.
The 31-year-old pastor called Simon Mpiga aka Ronnie was arrested on November 27 around 10am following a report filed against him by the victim.
According to a case reported at Mukono Police vide SD REF 38/25/11/2018, it’s alleged that the victim had requested for Shs20000 from the pastor. He however told the boy that the money was at his home. The pastor asked the victim to proceed and wait from his house promising to provide him with the requested financial assistance.
In his statement the victim said that the pastor arrived at home late in company of his friend and offered him some booze which he declined. The pastor then convinced the victim to sleep over since it was already getting late, according to a police statement.
“In the middle of the night he started caressing, squeezing as he drew closer and eventually started kissing me. I tried to resist but he was strong and threatened to harm me if i didn’t. He then promised to introduce me to a new life of earning dollars and being rich,” the victim told police.
Its alleged that the victim applied a lubrication cream onto the victim and sodomised him. He then called in his friend to capture a video and still photos of the acts saying the donors would increase his funding.
After waking up in the morning, the victim was severely injured and discovered a seminal fluid discharge coming out of him. He was then escorted to Bank of Africa Mukono Branch and given Shs10000 as part of the money he had requested for.
The victim who was by that time in a very critical health condition and had faced the worst form of sexual abuse with multiple effects decided to open up to his mother who immediately reported the matter to police.
The victim was subjected to a medical examination and the doctor’s report confirmed an unnatural sexual connection had been committed in violation of Uganda’s Penal Code Act.
Further inquiries reveal the said pastor as a habitual sodomy suspect after investigators confirming this as the second time he is being arrested at Mukono Police Station on sodomy charges.
The suspect was first arrested in May 2016 vide SD REF 23/12/05/2016 on sodomy allegations. However, he managed to bribe his way into the victim’s family and the case prematurely closed after expression of no further interest in the case by the victim’s family.
Attempts to secure him a bond by some legal officers claiming to be affiliated with Uganda Human Rights Commission on Thursday were futile and the suspect is currently detained at Mukono Police Station on charges related to sodomy, rape and defilement.
In Uganda, Sodomy is illegal.
According to Section 145 (a) of the Penal Code Act, any person who has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for life.
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