The Masaka Grade One Magistrate, Her Worship Selsa Biwaga, has ordered the deportation of 67 Congolese nationals who were arrested on Sunday from Sumayiya Church in Masaka City.
ICYMI: 67 Congolese arrested from Masaka church over illegal entry into Uganda
The court on Tuesday found the group guilty of illegally entering and settling in Uganda without the required travel documents.
The prosecution, led by Abraham Akandehako, alleged that 54 of the Congolese nationals entered Uganda illegally without the required identification or travel documents.
Explaining that they were found worshipping on Sunday at Sumayiya Church, a Pentecostal church located in the Nyendo-Mukungwe Division of Masaka City.
Among those arrested, 54 were adults and were therefore charged, while 13 children were not prosecuted. Most of the accused admitted the charges.
However, one of them, Amin Ibrahim, denied the accusation and told the court that he possessed a Ugandan national identity card, which security officers allegedly confiscated at the time of his arrest.
Akandehako asked the court to issue a cautionary sentence warning the accused not to return to Uganda illegally and requested that they be repatriated to their home country.
President Judge, Her Worship, Biwaga agreed and noted that the offence carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of three million Ugandan shillings.
Before sentencing, the accused pleaded for leniency. Some told the court that they had fled to Uganda because of conflict in Congo and had been living in Uganda for about two years.
The magistrate convicted them upon their plea of guilty, and ordered the Immigration Department to deport them back to Congo.
While delivering the judgment, Biwaga explained that she had considered the fact that many of the accused were women with very young children under their care, making imprisonment inappropriate in the circumstances.
She ordered that they remain in the custody of security authorities until arrangements are made for their repatriation.
However, Amin Ibrahim, who denied the charge, was asked to apply for bail, but his sureties lacked LCI letters, and his case will be heard on July 2.