KAMPALA, UGANDA: Police in Kampala Metropolitan have obtained DNA samples from Mr Amos Betungura, a former pastor after he claimed to be the father of the 17 children rescued from a suspected child trafficker in Wakiso last week.
The children most of whom were aged between 1-6 years were recovered from Nkoowe village, Kaliti parish in Mende sub-county in Wakiso district, as they were being transported to Mbarara district, where the former pastor hails from.
Police Spokesperson SCP Fred Enanga in a Monday press briefing said DNA tests with be run against the samples picked from the 17 children, to determine whether they match or not while the children, with the help of the probation officer and CFPU, are currently being taken care of in a shelter home.
He added that police has so far arrested six suspects in connection to help with the ongoing investigations, and these include; Amos Betungura (the former pastor and father claimant), Nayebare Carolina and Ashaba Dina 9arrested last week), Tusasirwe Betty, Komuhangi Junick and one other woman only identified as Loy.
According to Enanga, Mr Betungura told police that he had placed the children under the care of some of his relatives after he ran into marital problems and additional challenges from his pastoral work which hampered him from being able to take care of them.
“During the interrogation, the suspect admitted that due to marital problems and additional challenges from his pastoral work, after his church was closed during the first COVID lockdown, he decided to place his children under the care of some of his relatives, after failing to provide for them in terms of feeding, school, medication and clothing among others,” Enanga said.
He added that police recovered additional exhibits of broken sticks, burnt plastics, clothes and beddings from the rented premises at Nkoowe village where the children were rescued from.
The pastor according to police faces charges of negligence and failure to provide basic necessities to mothers and his children if found to be the true biological father, while he will be slapped with the charge of giving false information and obstructing justice if the DNA samples do not match.
“If we establish that he gave false and misleading information to the police to protect himself or someone else, we shall charge him, with giving false information and obstruction of justice. But if it is established that he is truly the biological father, to the 17 children, we shall charge him with failure to provide basic necessities to his children and their mothers,” Enanga explained.
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