Pastors quizzed again over sodomy claims
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/684941
Tuesday, 16th June, 2009
By Herbert Ssempogo
PASTORS Martin Ssempa and Solomon Male were yesterday interrogated again over allegations that Miracle Centre Church Pastor Robert Kayanja sodomised six boys.
The Police want to establish if they bribed Kayanja’s accusers to say he sodomised them. Although the pastors say they were simply helping the victims to get justice, Kayanja believes they are not acting in good faith but bent on tarnishing his image.
Male and Ssempa arrived at the Central Police Station in Kampala at 10:00am.
First to face the Police was Ssempa, the pastor of Makerere Community Church. The detectives questioned him for four hours. Ssempa, wearing a black robe, walked out at 2:00pm after recording a statement.
He said he and the Police had discussed the difficulty in proving the allegations. “We have discussed the challenges of collecting evidence,” he said. “For example, if a boy says he was forced to carry out oral sex, how can that be investigated?” he asked.
The Police, Ssempa disclosed, also asked him if other people had complained against Kayanja, to which he said ‘yes’. However, he did not name anyone. Ssempa urged Kayanja to step aside as the leader of Miracle Centre to allow for unimpeded investigations.
He said he had written to Pastor Mitala, the leader of the watchdog committee of pentecostal pastors, to tell Kayanja to pave way for the investigation. He said he had copied the letter to ethics state minister Nsaba Buturo.
As he spoke, Male went in to meet the detectives and was still being interrogated by press time. Earlier, Male of Arise and Shine Ministries, expressed concern that the investigators had devoted their time questioning them instead of Kayanja, the suspect.
The duo was first questioned earlier last month at the Criminal Investigations Directorate head office in Kibuli. They recorded statements.
Six boys, Samson Mukisa, David Mulakazi, Robson Matovu, James Ntwatwa, Ronnie Matovu and Brian Akansiimwe accused Kayanja of sodomising them.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, Matovu and Mukisa currently under “police protection”, retracted the allegations, saying Male and Ssempa bribed them.
Other pastors who have been interrogated over the matter are Kayanja, Pastor Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre and his colleague, Bob Kayiira.
