Court remands business man and co-accused over child trafficking and obtaining money by false pretense

By Godwin Abedican

Arua

The grade one court in Arua has remanded two suspects Sabir Siraj aged 27 said to be a business man, resident of Nsambya north cell, Awindiri ward, and Geria Salima aged 28 a resident of Tanganyika ward all in Arua Central division Arua city on 32 counts including 9 counts of child trafficking and 23 counts of obtaining money by false pretense.

Arua city leaders-pose with some of the children

The duo were arrested in Arua city on 1st February 2023 after a tip off to the security when Sabir allegedly gathered close to 50 children at continental hotel in Arua city allegedly to be taken for studies at Rahman Islamic primary and secondary school a mixed day and boarding school purportedly located in Bombo in which he was collecting monies from unsuspecting parents and guardians of the children. 
By the time of his arrest, Sabir was residing at Hotel Arua located in Anyafio before the police went to pick up the second suspect Geria Salima on the same day within Arua central division. Following the arrest of the two, investigations indicate that the said school does to exist in Bombo, which prompted the duo to be detained at the police cells in Arua awaiting trial in the court.

On Tuesday February 14th 2023, court presided over by Her Worship Christine Imalingat, the Acting Senior Grade One Magistrate Arua heard that between 24th January and 1st February 2023 the two were involved in child trafficking and obtaining money by false pretense. Counts one to 9 were those of child trafficking and counts 10 to 32 were those of obtaining money by false pretense. During the court process, the magistrate had to skip the child trafficking counts since they could not be handled by her court but proceeded to read the counts against the duo over obtaining money by false pretense. As she read the counts one after the other from 10 to 32, the accused persons denied involvement in the 23 counts of obtaining money by false pretense.

This therefore made her worship Christine to remand the two until 14th of March 2023, when they are expected to be produced before court.  Her worship Christine says, if interested the duo can apply for bail to be heard by the high court.
Sabir previously had been arrested in Koboko and Nebbi districts but has always been released on bail whose terms he has not been following an incident which earlier made questions to be raised as to how someone of such offences gets to be set free.

COVER PHOTO: Sabir Siraj after Arrest