A Ugandan man and his son have been remanded at Luzira prison for allegedly trafficking people from Uganda to Dubai without a valid recruitment license.
Apostal John Malisi, 50, and his son Billali Elly Malisi, 25, residents of Mbuya Cell 2 village, Nakawa Division in Kampala District, face charges alongside Annet Namakula, a 47-year-old businesswoman residing in Ttula village, Kawempe Division.
The trio appeared before Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi, who read them 18 counts of human trafficking and operating an unlicensed recruitment agency. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Despite their pleas, the magistrate remanded them until December 29, 2023, when their case will be mentioned again.
The prosecution alleges that in 2022, at Ttula village in Kawempe Division, the accused persons deceived and fraudulently recruited individuals from Uganda, transporting them via Entebbe International Airport to Dubai with the intention of exploiting them for labor.
Some of the victims, who were present in court, testified that they were flown to Dubai but subsequently returned to Uganda due to the lack of promised jobs.
