The police in Kalungu district are hunting for Charles Mutebi, the councilor representing Kalungu rural sub-county, for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old girl.
Mutebi is also the secretary for education and health, and was a teacher to the victim when she was in primary five.
The incident occurred in September at Mutebi’s residence in Kaliiro village, Kaliiro parish-Kalungu rural sub county.
According to the victim, the councilor tricked her to pick a container from the house, to buy food for him from her mother’s restaurant. He allegedly locked the door and chloroformed her before proceeding to defile her.
She says when she later gained consciousness, she was shocked to see her dress stained with blood and her private parts hurting. Mutebi reportedly threatened to kill her in case she told anyone about what happened and the girl first remained silent fearing for her life.
It is until when her health deteriorated prompting her parents to take her to Villa Maria hospital in Masaka, where she disclosed the councilor’s gruesome act to the health workers and her parents.
The victim’s father, Baptista Ddungu, 40, lodged a complaint at Kalungu police station and a file CRB/284/2021 opened up for investigation.
But the investigating officer Richard Tumukwasibwe, who was assigned to follow up on the case is said to have taken the matter lightly in spite of their constant pleas to bring the culprit to book.
Ddungu says that Mutebi approached them and offered to give 50,000 shillings to settle the case but they declined his bribe and continued pursuing for justice. He adds that Mutebi has since been roaming freely while their daughter’s pursuit for justice hangs in the balance due to the police’s negligence.
The frustrated parents were forced to camp at the district headquarters to seek the intervention of the district leaders for justice to prevail.
Caleb Tukaikiriza, the Kalungu Resident District Commissioner has disclosed that the accused councilor approached him over the matter saying it was concocted by his political opponents to tarnish his name.
The RDC adds that Mutebi later disappeared and switched his known mobile lines off making it hard for the authorities to track him.
Tukaikiriza explains that the councilor has been evading police since, but he remains wanted for the gruesome crime committed on a minor. He further pledged to follow up on the matter up to when the girl’s family gets justice.
According to Muhammad Nsubuga, the Southern Regional Police spokesman, they are hunting for the councilor who is currently on the run.
He explains that the case file had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for guidance on how to proceed, and the investigations have now kicked off in high gear.
He further appealed to the victim’s parents to give them more time to track and arrest Mutebi and produce him in court for his alleged crime.
