Man accused of "personally" raping, torturing NUP supporter at CMI facility speaks out

Erias Ssengooba, a civilian accused by a National Unity Platform supporter, Marinos Alexandria of personally raping and participating in her  torture after her alleged arrest by CMI has denied the allegations.

Marinos, 29, a resident of Mbuya  said she was late last month arrested by soldiers and later detained at a Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) facility she said she cant locate because she had allegedly been blindfolded.

“They had warned me against playing Bobi Wine’s music and ordered me to stop supporting NUP or else I would face dire consequences. They covered my head and drove off to a place that I cannot describe up to now, I just heard them opening the door and pushing me in,”she told journalists.

Marinos who said she had earlier been a staunch NRM supporter but had towards the 2021 election converted to Robert Kyagulanyi’s NUP personally accused Ssengooba of not only participating in the torture but also raping her.

However, in an unprecedented move, the accused personally came out to distance himself from the allegations that he said have left him embarrassed and his name tarnished beyond repair.

Ssengooba who admitted having relationship with security said she knows his accuser as a neighbor with whom they have lived on the village without any problem.

“She has my phone number and I have hers and we have ever called each other. At one time, I even bought her data as well as giving her some money as friends and that is where it ended. What has astonished me is coming out to accuse me of weird things,”Ssengooba told journalists.

“I have never given to any security organ information about her but what I heard was she had some years back been arrested and taken to police over allegations of having some military equipment.”

Describing himself as a businessman, Ssengooba insisted that he was free to aid in any investigations to prove or acquit him of the allegations labeled against her by Marinos.

“I have a family but above all respect human rights. It sounded weird and embarrassing when I heard the allegations. She displayed her tortured butt but where would any decent human being get the appetite of sexually assaulting such a person in that condition. Even if she was doing it for elfish gains, why would someone’s name be tarnished in such a fashion?”

Embarrassed

Ssengooba described the allegations against him as embarrassing not to only him but also his family and friends.

“This was meant to tarnish my name. I have never done it. I am willing to let this dust settle and I will take court action against her for tarnishing my name,”Ssengooba said.

Earlier, the army had also distanced itself from the allegations of torturing Marinos in a CMI detention facility.

“She has never been anywhere in UPDF detention leave alone CMI. The days she alleges to have been kidnapped and detained show she was making communication on phone. How can a detainee make phone calls. We state and deny the claim that CMI was involved in her torture and detention .CMI doesn’t know her or has been in its detention. We are unable to determine why she came with the allegations which have no aorta of truth. We are unable to explain the source of bodily injuries she claims to have got .We can only speculate the motive of her allegations,” UPDF spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye said.

Earlier, National Unity Platform leader, Robert Kyagulanyi had condemned Marinos’ alleged arrest, torture and rape saying the army ought to be held accountable.

The NUP women league also demanded that the perpetrators of the said act be arrested to answer charges related to human rights violation.

 

http://nilepost.co.ug/2022/04/22/she-is-a-liar-says-updf-about-lady-who-accuses-cmi-of-torture-rape/