Ugandan pastor Joseph Collins Twahirwa of the Bugolobi-based Epikaizo Ministries International charged with raping Latvian tourist, remanded: Lady in Latvian tourist rape saga fears for her life

 

 Mr Joseph Collins Twahirwa, accused of raping Ms Saulite Anda, in the dock at Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court on January 18, 2023. PHOTO/ ABUBAKER LUBOWA

 

Lady in Latvian tourist rape saga fears for her  life 

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/lady-in-latvian-tourist-rape-saga-fears-for-her-life--4096922 

Tuesday, January 24, 2023 

 

By  STEPHEN OTAGE

 

What you need to know:

• Concerns.  “There is a man who first helped the lady report the matter. On the day when NTV ran the story, he came to say the pastor is ready to pay me whatever money I want so as to stop following that matter because it seems things are getting out of hand,” Sumaya Uwiragiye, complainant

 

 

A woman, who claims she helped a Latvian national break the silence about her sexual abuse at the hands of a Ugandan pastor, says her life is in danger.
Ms Sumaya Uwiragiye has had to keep a wine shop and restaurant she operates at Lukuli Nanganda in Makindye Division under lock and key after Ms Saulite Anda spoke exclusively to NMG Uganda about her predicament.

 

Ms Anda, 36, accused Mr Joseph Collins Twahirwa of raping her during her first night in Uganda on December 11, 2022. Mr Twahirwa, 28, was last week remanded into custody at Luzira prison.
Now Ms Uwiragiye, 32, who helped Ms Anda tell her story to NMG Uganda, suspects she is being trailed by Mr Twahirwa’s emissaries.

“There is a man who first helped the lady report the matter at Jinja Road Police Station. On the day when NTV ran the story, he came to say the pastor is ready to pay me whatever money I want so as to stop following that matter because it seems things are getting out of hand,” Ms Uwiragiye said in an interview on Sunday. She told this publication that the unidentified man didn’t take no for an answer. On January 15, she was reportedly trailed by men on two motorcycles. This was as Ms Uwiragiye returned home with her sister. 
“I have been forced to close the restaurant since January 15 because I do not know these people and their intentions,” she revealed, adding, “They can easily kill me. I do not know who they are, but I suspect these are followers of the pastor who are not pleased that he was remanded to prison.”

 

Ugandan pastor charged with raping Latvian tourist, remanded

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/ugandan-pastor-charged-with-raping-latvian-tourist-remanded-4090554 

Thursday, January 19, 2023 

 

By  Juliet Kigongo

 

What you need to know:

• Prosecution led by Ms Doreen Elima alleges that Pr Twahirwa, a lawyer by profession, on December 12, 2022 at Munyonyo Zone in Kampala had unlawful carnal knowledge with Saulite Anda without her consent.

 

 

A Ugandan pastor accused of raping a Latvian tourist after he allegedly invited her to his church has been arraigned in a Kampala court and remanded to Luzira prison.
Pastor Joseph Collins Twahirwa appeared before Nakawa Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa who read to him the rape charges following his arrest this week.

 

 Prosecution led by Ms Doreen Elima alleges that Pr Twahirwa, a lawyer by profession, on December 12, 2022 at Munyonyo Zone in Kampala had unlawful carnal knowledge with Saulite Anda without her consent.

 

The magistrate did not allow him to take plea on grounds that his case is capital offence in nature and can only be tried by the High Court.
Accordingly, the case was deferred to February 1, 2023 as police investigations continue. 

Twahirwa was also remanded until then when he will be brought back to court for mention of the case.
This past weekend, Nation Media Group-Uganda exclusively reported about the predicament Anda claims Joseph Collins Twahirwa subjected her to shortly after touching down in Uganda on December 11, 2022.

The 36-year-old Latvian said Mr Twahirwa told her “he wanted to have a baby … pushed me onto the bed and raped me” on the night of December 11, 2022.
Anda also recounted her torment when she tried to file a case, first, at Jinja Road Police Station and, later, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID).

 

At the former, officers asked the Latvian to either “buy [fuel] to put in [their] car” or “to sleep with me.” At CID, the officers told Anda that she was “playing with a man who has big people around.”
The officers at Jinja Road Police Station, including Detective Sergeant Oyela Doreen, Detective Corporal Judith Akite, and Detective Joyce Ayeleget, were on Sunday arrested and will be charged with irregular conduct contrary to Code 12 Section 44 of the Police Act.
Anda’s case has put the reputation of police officers on the line as much as pentecostal pastors. When the Latvian tried to file a case at Jinja Road Police Station, it is alleged that the police officers joined Mr Twahirwa’s followers in tormenting her.

 

 Anda told us that her phone was grabbed and all communications she had with Mr Twahirwa on social media were deleted in an attempt to destroy evidence of their interactions. Before, the officers at the station had allegedly forcibly removed shoes from her feet and roughed her up before locking her up in a cell.  She was later released and ordered to withdraw the case against Mr Twahirwa.
In our last conversation with Anda, she expressed fears that her life was in danger following her first interview with us. A black car with red plates had been trailing her. The State has since secured her and given her a protection detail until the time of her departure.

 

Ugandan Prosperity Pastor Joseph Collins Twahirwa of the Bugolobi-based Epikaizo Ministries International accused by Saulite Anda, a Latvian national of rape: 3 detectives arrested for bungling rape case involving pastor Twahirwa

 

 3 detectives arrested for bungling rape case involving pastor Twahirwa

https://observer.ug/news/headlines/76538-3-jinja-road-detectives-arrested-for-mishandling-rape-case-involving-pastor-twahirwa 

January 17, 2023

Written by URN

Police have arrested three of its own detectives on the accusation of mishandling a rape case of Saulite Anda, a Latvian national.

The arrested detective are Sgt Doreen Oyera, Cpl Judith Akite and constable Joyce Ayereget, all from Jinja Road police station. Anda says she was raped by Ugandan pastor Joseph Collins Twahirwa of the Bugolobi-based Epikaizo Ministries International.

 

Anda said, in a statement at the criminal investigations directorate (CID), that she was invited to Uganda by Twahirwa and arrived at the suspect’s home in Bugolobi on December 12, 2022. Upon arrival, the pastor reportedly confiscated her passport, LV4336528. He also allegedly robbed her of $300 and €400 before eventually raping her. Anda was thereafter advised to file a case at Jinja Road police station.

But while there, the detectives allegedly conspired with Twahirwa and handed over her passport in addition to forcing her to sign for an amount of money in Ugandan shillings. Anda further told the CID team at the headquarters in Kibuli that Jinja road detectives also forced her to sign a document acknowledging receipt of all her money and withdrawing the case.

Maj Tom Magambo, the CID director reportedly ordered the arrest of the three detectives and they were apprehended on Monday afternoon. The CID team has established that Oyera, Akite and Ayereget had also conspired with Twahirwa to ensure Anda leaves Uganda as soon as possible since her visa was expiring on January 16. But on the advice of Maj Magambo, the directorate of citizenship and immigration control (DCIC) has extended Anda’s stay to ensure the case is fully investigated and provides all the necessary evidence for a successful trial. 

Deputy police spokesperson Claire Nabakka confirmed the arrest of the three detectives and said the trio will face charges of irregular conduct contrary to section 44 of the Police Act. Twahirwa has also been arrested.

"It brings out the element of the unprofessionalism our officer exhibited at Jinja road police post. Currently, the pastor is in our custody, and three of our officers at Jinja road were arrested," said Nabakka.

 

Pastor accused of raping foreign national arrested

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/pastor-accused-of-raping-foreign-national-arrested-4088722 

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

 

What you need to know:

• This past weekend, Nation Media  Group-Uganda exclusively reported about the predicament Anda claims Joseph Collins Twahirwa subjected her to shortly after touching down in Uganda on December 11, 2022.

The Uganda Police Force is holding a pastor and three of its officers following a case in which a woman was allegedly raped and defrauded of her money.

This past weekend, Nation Media  Group-Uganda exclusively reported about the predicament Anda claims Joseph Collins Twahirwa subjected her to shortly after touching down in Uganda on December 11, 2022.

The 36-year-old Latvian said Mr Twahirwa told her “he wanted to have a baby … pushed me onto the bed and raped me” on the night of December 11, 2022. 

Anda also recounted her torment when she tried to file a case, first, at Jinja Road Police Station and, later, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID).

At the former, officers asked the Latvian to either “buy [fuel] to put in [their] car” or “to sleep with me.” At CID, the officers told Anda that she was “playing with a man who has big people around.”

The officers at Jinja Road Police Station, including Detective Sergeant Oyela Doreen, Detective Corporal Judith Akite, and Detective Joyce Ayeleget, were on Sunday arrested and will be charged with irregular conduct contrary to Code 12 Section 44 of the Police Act.

Mr Tom Magambo, the CID Director, told Daily Monitor that Mr Twahirwa “will be arraigned in court in the next 48 hours”.   “As CID, we are doing all we can to aid the judicial process. We are the first in this line. CID [ O]DPP (the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions), then the courts of law, and later the prisons,” Mr Magambo said in an interview yesterday.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Claire Nabakka, the deputy spokesperson of police, confirmed that a police bond that had been given to Mr Twahirwa was revoked forthwith.

She added that the pastor who ministers with Epikaizo Ministries International has since been placed in the custody of the Force.

ACP Nabakka further revealed that “the government has extended [Anda’s] travel so that we can be able to allow thorough investigations.”

The Latvian was initially supposed to leave the country yesterday.

Police called upon all those who have similar complaints against the pastor to come forward and file reports to the CID for further investigations.

“We thank the media team that covered this story and we do pledge to continue working with you all to ensure that this case is concluded to fair justice,” ACP Nabakka told journalists yesterday in Kampala, adding, “We take cases of sexual and gender based violence seriously and we do pledge to professionally handle this and any other cases that may be reported.”

Anda’s case has put the reputation of police officers on the line as much as pentecostal pastors. When the Latvian tried to file a case at Jinja Road Police Station, it is alleged that the police officers joined Mr Twahirwa’s followers in tormenting her.

Anda told us that her phone was grabbed and all communications she had with Mr Twahirwa on social media were deleted in an attempt to destroy evidence of their interactions. Before, the officers at the station had allegedly forcibly removed shoes from her feet and roughed her up before locking her up in a cell.  She was later released and ordered to withdraw the case against Mr Twahirwa.

In our last conversation with Anda, she expressed fears that her life was in danger following her first interview with us. A black car with red plates had been trailing her. The State has since secured her and given her a protection detail until the time of her departure.