Portuguese national facing aggravated trafficking  further remanded 

International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kampala has further remanded a Portuguese national to Luzira Prison on charges of aggravated trafficking after failing to pay Shs30 million as part of the plea bargain. 

The Presiding Judge Andrew Bashaijja further remanded Carlos Alberto De Almedia after court heard that he had not yet complied with plea bargain terms.

Prosecution led by Ms Marion Benbella told court that;

"There were terms that were supposed to be fulfilled by the accused which among them was to deposit a some of money as compensation to the victims. However, he has not yet complied with the terms.  We seek for an adjournment as the accused complies with the terms of the negotiations." 

However, Carlos' lawyer Mr Daniel Angualia told court that they received evidence on March 20 that the money was transferred via Electronic Funds Transfer although he has not yet received it on his account. 

But after the submissions of the lawyers, Carlos showed his dissatisfaction with the way journalists capture his photographs and that he is being harassed by fellow inmates thus seeking to  be remanded to Internal Affairs Ministry until the money is paid.

In response to his worries, the judge told Carlos that the pictures are lawfully taken unless the journalists go overboard. 

"You better come as an accused person, stand your trial and leave journalists alone if you do not mind. On your second issue I do not have powers to remand you to Internal Affairs Ministry,  if you are being harassed by other inmates, let the Officer in Charge of prisons look into your concern," Justice Bashaijja said before remanding Carlos until March 27.

Carlos is facing two charges of aggravated trafficking in children contrary to section 5(a) and 3(1)(a) of the prevention of trafficking in persons Act 2009.

Prosecution states that between the months of April to May 2020 at Busibante Zone, Kira Division, Wakiso District, Carlos received and harbored a minor by means of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability by means of giving or receiving of payments to achieve their consent for the purpose of sexually exploiting her.

According to the court documents, Carlos came to Uganda in August 2019  and he stayed in Ntinda with a girlfriend. The two later separated leading the accused to shift to Najjera in April 2020 where he rented an apartment.

Documents further indicate that the accused met with the victim’s mother who was selling tea by the roadside together with two daughters and became a customer every morning.

“Towards the end of April he requested the victim’s mother to allow her little daughter to go with him to his place of residence and wash his clothes. Instead the mother requested that he brings the clothes and they wash from home and he picks them,” reads in part the court documents.

It is alleged that the victim became friends with the accused with whom they started living together in a two-bed roomed house as family with her parents paying rent of Shs500000 per month.

Court records show that while the family slept, the accused would move from his bed to the victims’ bed and started kissing her which forced the victim’s sister to shift to their parents’ room which gave the accused way to defile the victim.

“The incident was reported to the victim’s father but he kept quiet. The victim went ahead and shifted her mattress from the accused’s room. However, her father forced her to take it back and was further defiled,” reads part of the court documents.

The accused later complained about the house being bad thus suggesting that they shift to a spacious house with three bedrooms and indeed they shifted paying Shs 1million per month.

“In the new home, the victim and her sibling occupied one room while the parents the second room and the accused the third room but he later complained that he was being discriminated without allowing him to mix freely with the children,” documents further read.

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