Evangelist charged with lying to BBC
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/711009
Wednesday, 24th February, 2010
By Bonney Odongo
and Patrick Okino
in Lira
A CATHOLIC evangelist who told a BBC reporter that he committed 70 ritual murders has been charged with giving false information to a public officer.
Polino Angella, a resident of Bala sub-county in Apac district, was charged yesterday before a Lira magistrate. The offence carries a prison sentence of one year.
“On January 18, you told detective Vincent Odwar false information that you sacrificed 70 people, including your own son, Nelson Ojede, to the evil spirits, which was investigated and confirmed false,” magistrate Everest Palodi told the accused.
Angella pleaded not guilty to the charge and was sent on remand to Lira Central Prison. His plea for bail was turned down. The magistrate said he needed time to study the file before granting bail.
According to the prosecution, Angella told BBC reporter Tim Whewell that he sacrificed 70 people, including his own son, in the 1980s and 90s when he was still an active witchdoctor.
The documentary, which was shot in northern Uganda, was aired on BBC last month.
The claims by Angella during the BBC broadcast attracted public attention, leading the Police anti-human sacrifice unit to institute investigations.
The documentary also showed a group of traditional healers re-enacting how they killed their victims.
Angella earlier claimed that he was paid sh200,000 to dramatise the human sacrifice story and that he was promised a donation for his community-based organisation.
Godwin Tumugumye, an officer at Lira Police Station, said the BBC correspondent is also wanted by the Police.
Uganda witch doctor 'lied to BBC' over child sacrifice
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8536313.stm
A former Ugandan witch doctor has been charged with lying about carrying out child sacrifices in a BBC report.
Polino Angela told the BBC Newsnight programme he had killed about 70 people, including his son, before becoming an anti-sacrifice campaigner.
He allegedly repeated his claims to a Ugandan police officer and has been charged with "giving false information to a public officer".
He reportedly denied the charges and was remanded in custody.
Moses Binoga, head of the Anti-Human Sacrifice and Trafficking Task Force, said the police had spoken to relatives and neighbours of Polino Angela's son, who all say he died of malaria and was not sacrificed.
"The boy died a natural death," he said.
"Seventy people [killed] was just fantasy to make the story look interesting."
Mr Binoga said that Mr Angela had admitted lying, saying he hoped the international publicity would lead to a flow of donations to his organisation.
Mr Angela said he carried out the killings in the 1980s.
He says he stopped in 1990 and now tries to persuade other witch doctors to stop carrying out child sacrifices.
Mr Binoga said he had not yet decided whether he would ask to formally question BBC correspondent Tim Whewell.
The task force does, however, fear that child sacrifice is a growing problem, with 29 suspected cases last year.
Many Ugandans believe in the powers of witch doctors and traditional healers.
Some say that potions made with human body parts are more powerful.
