The Uganda People Defense Force (UPDF) has dismissed any affiliation to a defilement suspect claiming to be a retired Colonel.
The suspect is Stephen Aine, 39, a resident of Lira City West division was recently remanded on charges of aggravated defilement and child trafficking of a seventeen year old girl.
Aine informed police officers that he is a retired senior soldier when he was arrested last week and charged in Courts of Law. He was charged contrary to section 129 (3&4) (c) and section 3 (1a) of the Penal Code Act and Section 5(a) of the prevention of trafficking in persons Act respectively.
Court heard that between 2016 and August 2022 while at Tesobar modern in Lira City West Division, Aine performed had sexual intercourse now aged 17 years, while she was under his care.
He also recruited, harbored, received, and transported the victim by means of deception or abuse of power and position of vulnerability for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Aine’s claims of affiliation to the army were dismissed by Capt. Amos Nsamba, the UPDF 5th Division spokesperson. Nsamba says that there is no record of any retired Colonel Stephen Aine or any document showing that he has ever served in the army.
Nsamba says such masquerades are only looking to tarnish the image of the UPDF.
“UPDF is not an association, there are procedures of joining it legally in law, but impersonation is a common case and police handle such anomalies of people masquerading as UPDF , wearing our uniforms and we don’t stop arresting them. We have worked for goodness and must maintain it,” Nsamba says
This is not the first time the suspect is being accused of sexually abusing children. Early this year, the suspect was arrested on allegations of defilement but the charges were mysteriously dropped.