The Grade One Magistrate Court in Jinja on March 24th remanded a total of six suspects accused of promoting homosexuality to Kirinya Prison.
The suspects were arrested by the police in Jinja about a week ago on grounds that they were part of a sexual network grooming boys to commit sodomy and recruiting adult men to commit homosexual acts.
The suspects are identified as Geoffrey Ibanda, Sadic Wassajja, Sadat Menya alias Sheebah, Fabian Kalungi, Hamza Katamba, and Brian Kiiza alias Chosen. They are aged between 20 and 26.
According to the police, the suspects were arrested in Mpumudde Zone, where they had been recording pornographic and sex videos and streaming live sessions.
“The suspects were arrested from Mpumudde Zone, where they had been recording pornographic and sex videos and streaming live sessions, which they submit to donors for funding. They were allegedly found with 192 sacs of lubricants, shirts and stags with LGBTQ logos, and a metallic banner of peace and comfort with the LGBTQ flag,” police stated.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested the court grant them bail on the basis that it is a constitutional right.
Yafesi Ochieng, the Grade One Magistrate, required them to provide two sureties each, which they adhered to.
However, the Magistrate reversed that decision on the grounds that the State Attorney was not present in court, yet such processes cannot be completed without her representation.
Ochieng further advised the suspects to reapply for bail on their next court appearance on April 17.
Early this week, Parliament approved stringent penalties for persons involved in promoting homosexuality as part of a new law tabled by Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa. The law sets a death penalty for the offence of aggravated homosexuality, where a victim is a child below 14 or a person above 75 years, a person with a disability or who suffers a disability as a result of the sexual act, or those with mental illness.
