By Michael Odeng
A Kampala pastor accused of raping a 36-year-old Latvian female tourist was remanded to Luzira Prison on Wednesday, January 17.
The accused is Pastor Joseph Collins Twahirwa of Epikaizo Ministries International, which is based in Bugolobi, Kampala.
He was remanded after being charged with rape, contrary to Sections 123 and 124 of the Penal Code Act. A person convicted of rape is liable to suffer death.
Twahirwa was charged at Nakawa Chief Magistrate Court presided over by judge Ritah Neumbe Kidasa.
The prosecution team argues that the accused committed the crime on December 12 in Munyonyo.
“Investigations on the matter are still ongoing and we pray for sufficient time to have it concluded for purposes of committing the accused to the High Court in Kampala for trial,” requested resident senior state attorney Doreen Elima.
Court documents indicate that the female tourist arrived in Uganda on December 11, last year at the invitation of Twahirwa.
The Latvian, currently under the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) witness protection programme, intends to spend 35 days in Uganda.
Anda said she came to Uganda with her credit cards together with $300 (sh1.1m) and n £400 (sh1.8m) in cash.
She claimed that before Pastor Twahirwa raped her, she had handed over her cash to him after he offered to help her exchange it for Ugandan shillings.
The pastor allegedly later gave her the exchanged money that was less by sh500,000 after she reported him to the Police.
The case has been adjourned until February 1 for mention.
