Police drop criminal case against runaway groom
This combination of photos shows Dr Patrick Mbusa Kabagambe in an earlier picture (left) and during the introduction ceremony (right). PHOTOS/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- When the detectives preferred charges of fraudulent pretence of marriage, he said he had already married the complainant in a customary marriage.
Police have dropped all cases against the bridegroom who disappeared on the eve of his wedding, leaving the bride and relatives in panic.
Detectives had opened two files against Dr Patrick Kabagambe Mbusa; fraudulent pretence of marriage and disappearance, which was filed by his bride, Ms Christabella Banturaki.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesman , Mr Luke Owoyesigyire, said: “Since Dr Mbusa surfaced, we can’t go on with the case of disappearance. We also confirmed that it wasn’t a fake kidnap. The investigations also revealed that he married the complainant in a customary marriage, therefore the offence of fraudulent pretence of marriage can’t also stand. We have dropped the offences against Dr Mbusa,” Assistant Superintendent of Police Owoyesigyire said yesterday.
Dr Mbusa and Ms Banturaki had planned to get married at All Saints Cathedral Nakasero in Kampala last Saturday.
However, Dr Mbusa disappeared without communicating with the bride or relatives and his mobile phones were switched off on the eve of the event.
This prompted Ms Banturaki to open a case of disappearance of Dr Mbusa at Kasangati Police Station on the wedding day.
Relatives and friends who had turned up for the wedding at church and the reception at Silver Springs Hotel waited for the entourage to arrive in vain.
As the police intensified the search for him, Dr Mbusa took himself to Wandegeya Police Station asking them to call off the operations and saying his life was not in danger. He told detectives that he had hid at his friend’s home because he was stressed and did not feel like committing to the bride in church.
When the detectives preferred charges of fraudulent pretence of marriage, he said he had already married the complainant in a customary marriage.
The detectives released him on police bond as they carried out investigations.
“The complainant hasn’t also returned to police to follow up the case as she had been advised. All her contacts are switched off,” Mr Oweyesigyire said.
He said no person had also come up to complain that the bride or bridegroom fraudulently obtained money from him or her for their purported wedding.
