By Frank Kamuntu
Benon Kunywana and Godfrey Kyalimpa both managers at Middle East Consultants, a labour exporting company have been convicted by the International Crimes Division of the High Court for promoting human trafficking and forgery.
According to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the duo was arrested in 2019 for various human trafficking-related cases.
Prosecution alleges that on February 12, 2019, both Kunywana and Kyalimpa, between Kampala and Entebbe international airport tried to traffic 50 people out of the country contrary to the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2009.
The managers are also charged with forgery of documents and signatures from the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development contrary to Section 349 of the Penal Code.
The accused are said to have forged the signatures of Lawrence Egulu, an officer in the Ministry of Gender Labour to enable 50 people to travel out of the country.
At the commencement of the trial, the duo opted for a plea bargain and were accordingly convicted and sentenced by Justice Wejuli Richard to a fine of Shs2 million in respect of each count of promoting trafficking in persons and in default two years and 10 days imprisonment.
They were further convicted and sentenced to a fine of Shs3 million in respect of forgery and in default three years and 10 days imprisonment.
The imprisonment terms are to run concurrently.
