Turkish road construction firm boss charged over human trafficking
Mehmet Ozgur Bilir, a Turkish national but also the General Manager for Gulsan Construction Company, Turkish company involved in the construction of the 100 km Rwekunyu-Apac-Lira-Puranga road in Northern Uganda has been charged with human trafficking and assault among other charges.
Mehmet,48 was on Friday arraigned before the magistrates court at Nakawa and charges of trafficking in persons contrary to section 3(1) b of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act.
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It is alleged that between March, 2021 and May 2022, the accused at the Gulsan Construction company offices in Kampala by abuse of power and deception hired Felix Arim, an IT specialist the company network and configure their printers for the purposes of engaging the victim in involuntary servitude.
The Turkish national is also accused of grievous harm and malicious damage contrary to section 219 and 335(1) of the Penal Code Act respectively.
According to evidence before court, the accused beat and damaged Arim’s eye and spectacles valued at shs1.8 million when he demanded to be paid for his labour services.
Court documents including Police form three indicate that Arim’s left eye was badly injured when he was assaulted by Mehmet.
Documents indicate that Arim was grabbed by the neck and strangled , before being hit with a chair by the Turkish national that injured his left eye prompting him to report the matter to Bugoloobi police station.
On Friday, Mehmet was presented before court but was not charged formally because the state prosecutor was not available and Nakawa grade one magistrate, Irene Akello adjourned the case to June 22, 2022.
