Gang-rape charges against Pakistanis dropped

Kampala- The Director of Public Prosecutions yesterday dropped charges of rape against two men of Pakistan origin who had been charged with gang-raping and sodomising a 23-year-old woman in Kampala.

Mr Ahamad Shahbaz and Mr Muhammad Wagas were instead handed lighter charges of domestic violence and having sex with a person against the order of nature.
The two men were arrested last year on accusations of gang-rape and sodomy.

However, when they appeared before City Hall Magistrates Court for mention of their case yesterday, the State prosecutor, Ms Joyce Tushabe, presented an April 16, 2014 letter saying the charge of rape against the accused had been dropped.

“You worship, there is a new amended charge sheet against the two accused persons (Mr Shahbaz and Mr Wagas) with two cases of having carnal knowledge of a person against the order of nature and domestic violence against Ms Zainab Mbabazi,” Ms Tushabe said.

Magistrate Juliet Hatanga said she had no jurisdiction to try the charge of “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” and committed the accused to the Chief Magistrate’s Court for trial.
“The maximum punishment of having carnal knowledge of a person against the order of nature is life imprisonment and this court has no jurisdiction to hear such cases. However, domestic violence can be handled here though I feel it is better to consolidate the two so that they can be handled by the Chief Magistrate,” Ms Hatanga ruled.

She remanded the suspects until April 25 when they would plead to the new charges.

[email protected]