MP's wife on spot over child trafficking
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However, a day after the incident, Mr Terence Sodium Achia dismissed the allegations against his wife as false and baseless.
Mr Richard Aruk Maruk, the Mt Moroto regional police commander said the victims were not teens as claimed.
Police in Napak District have arrested Ms Betty Lokol Achia, the wife of Bokora County MP Terence Achia for allegedly trafficking five teenagers to Masindi.
She was arrested on Thursday night in Lorengechora Sub-County as she and the girls were heading to Masindi in Teso coach bus.
Mr David Agaba, the district police commander Napak confirmed the arrest of Ms Betty saying it was after a tip off by concerned residents.
He said Ms Achia was authorized to move with children to Masindi by LC1 chairman whom he said will also be arrested.
“We gave her a police bond as we continue investigations,” he said.
According to Mr Agaba, she was taking the girls to work in their farm in Masindi which he said it’s illegal because they are below 18 years.
Napak District in Karamoja sub-region contributes the highest number of street children in Uganda’s capital, Kampala and other towns like Iganga, Busia and Malaba. Others have crossed to Somalia via Kenya.
However, a day after the incident, Mr Terence Sodium Achia dismissed the allegations against his wife as false and baseless.
Speaking to this reporter, Mr Achia said the girls are his relatives and that they were going to his farm in Kiryandongo District to harvest maize and sorghum to feed their families in Napak.
“The said girls are my relatives. They were going to harvest maize from my farm to feed their families. Actually, they have gardens on part of my farm in Kiryandongo where they were going to harvest the maize,”he said.
Mr Achia said the allegations were made up by his political opponents with the aim of tarnishing his name.
“As a member of parliament for Bokora, I have been on record many times working hard to help the Karimojong children on the streets to return home. Even the Ministry of Gender can testify this on how active I’m to have these children return home,” he said.
He said using the media to tarnish his name will not help to address the challenges that Karamoja and Napak district in particular is experiencing.
Mr Richard Aruk Maruk, the Mt Moroto regional police commander said the victims were not teens as claimed.
“The fact is that the girls that were with the MPs’ wife are his relatives who were going to harvest their crops from Kiryandongo,” he said.
