The suspect was arrested at Biva Hotel in Rubaga Division, Kampala, where he had allegedly taken the victim to have sexual intercourse with her last Monday, February.
Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said the sexual harassment was foiled after the victim informed the authorities in time and the police tracked down the suspect.
“The suspect is detained at Nateete Police Station. We thank the victim for being proactive. We were able to prevent a crime,” Mr Owoyesigyire said yesterday.
The incident stemmed from a victim who was sent by a labour export company to a medical laboratory along Lumumba Avenue to test for HIV.
The company had sent the victim to the medical facility to be tested as a mandatory practice for all domestic workers travelling to the Middle East.
“She did the tests on February 6. On February 14, she was called by the suspect to go pick up her results. The results indicated that she was HIV positive, which she disputed. She did another test at another facility and results came out negative,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.
Since the Lumumba Avenue medical facility has a monopoly on the HIV tests for the labour company that sent the victim, she went back with her new set of results and met the suspect.
Mr Owoyesigyire said after a chat, the suspect allegedly told the woman that if she offered sex, he would give her negative results.
The victim is reported to have reluctantly accepted but secretly informed her labour company that contacted the police.
Later, the suspect reportedly telephoned the victim and arranged a meeting at a lodge in Rubaga Division, where they would have sex before he hands over the HIV-negative results to her.
Mr Owoyesigyire said: “She informed our officers and they tracked the duo until they were in the lodge and it was time to have sex. That is when our officers stormed the area and arrested him and later took him to Nateete Police Station where he was detained last Monday.”
However, the suspect is said to have denied any wrongdoing, claiming that his relationship with the victim was consensual.
Detectives said they are considering the charge of attempted rape against the suspect.
But Mr Owoyesigyire said it would be up to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine the offence. Attempted rape is a capital offence that attracts life imprisonment on conviction, according to Section 125 of the Penal Code Act, 1950.
The Act defines rape as unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent or if the consent is obtained by force or through threats, among others.
Source: thecitizen.co.tz
