Charges and criminal summons have been slapped against the foreign heads of Hope For Uganda Ministry Limited of Rubuguri Town Council and 5 other local leaders of Rubuguri, including its mayor on allegations of forgery of documents and money laundering in a dramatic turn of events.
Those summoned by the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) Police Headquaters, Kibuli include Gabriel Gorcea, Radu Almasani, and Muresani Ioan Daniel.The summons seen by this media house were also sent to Balaam Ayebare LC 3 councillor, Deus Byamugisha LCV councilor, Hakiza Nicholas LC3 chairperson, Kanyamunyu Fidelis local businessman, and Martin Ahimbisibwe.
After appeals by their lawyers that they were unable to afford transport they will now be required to report to Kisoro Police Station.Fellow Director, renowned Preacher and Overseer of Lift Up Jesus Global Ministry, Bishop Aloysius Kiiza, leveled the allegations against the group.
There has been an on-going standoff between the leader of Lift Up Jesus Global Ministry and the members of foreign NGO Misunea Speranta for Uganda for several years with them battling a pending court case in a high stakes dispute, that eventually dragged in State House who tried to mediate.
However, tensions boiled over recently when the Batwa were blocked by a combined force of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Uganda Police Force (UPF) from holding a crusade where Pastor Margaret Kiiza, wife to Bishop Aloysius Kiiza had been invited to be the guest preacher. In Uganda, where freedom of worship is enshrined in the constitution eyebrows were raised at the rare show of force especially against the Batwa, a marginalized community who were expelled from Bwindi forest.
However, it underlies the growing frustration of the Batwa who were once known for being notorious drunkards and idlers but have since transformed into productive people through the christian teachings and evangelism of Bishop Aloysius Kiiza through Lift Up Jesus Church which has a branch in Rubuguri ran by the Batwa themselves.
On the other hand, Misunea Speranta for Uganda eventually expelled the Batwa and Bishop Aloysius Kiiza from their activities and the organization (leading to the court case) following repeated queries of accountability according to a source within Lift Up Jesus church.
Martha (not her real name, identity withheld due to sensitivity of the matter) revealed that initially, after investing in Rubuguri together with Lift Up Jesus Global Ministries, Misunea Speranta for Uganda offered to buy out Bishop Kiiza and instead build him a school worth billions of shillings in Kabale and they remain with Ruguguri, an offer the Bishop rejected arguing that it is God who gave him the mandate among the Batwa and money could not replace that.
Since then she says they turned against the Bishop and the Batwa using every means available to them to fight them off. When pressed by this journalist, on whether the means included vast sums of money and inducements rumored to be paid to some of the leadership of Kisoro District and Rubuguri, she declined to continue with the interview.
Pastor Ahimbisibwe Alex, the Pastor of Lift Up Jesus Rubuguri said the Batwa are frustrated with foreigners and Romanians who he said promised to work with them but later betrayed them and instead established their own ventures around. Repeated attempts to get a comment from the representatives of Hope Mission were turned away by a lady who only identified herself as Anna.
Bishop Aloysius Kiiza attracted the leaders of Misunea Speranta for Uganda including Gabriel Gorcea and Radu Almasani to Uganda and they initially supported his work of ministry especially among the Batwa community and they pledged to partner with him and support his vision to develop the Batwa communities.
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