A former Makerere University student who reported a rape case against her lecturer back in 2016 has reportedly disappeared after failing to appear in court, for a session that happened yesterday Tuesday November 20th.
Prof Christopher Bakuneta’s trial has yet again flopped as his accuser and only witness Vanesha Ntegesa couldn’t be presented in court by the state.
In a statement submitted by the accuser, Bakuneta a lecturer at the college of Natural Science allegedly engaged in forceful sexual intercourse with his student, Vanesha Ntegesa who was renting and living in his garage without her consent
The prosecution led by Catherine Akello ruled that the case should be adjourned on grounds that the complainant and key witness is still missing. The case was adjourned until December 4, 2018 when it will be heard again.
Akello added that Ntegesa, who is no longer at Makerere University cannot be found as her phone number remains switched off. The guidelines which were agreed upon at the time when the session started, gave the state only one adjournment after which the case will be dismissed.
“We are still looking for the witness. We don’t know where she went to. Let’s hope we find her by the time we return,” Akello said.
Apparently, there is a letter which was wrote by the victim in April 2016, asking the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to drop the charges of rape against the professor explaining that she had already forgiven him as requested by the lecturer’s family.
This however cannot be confirmed as the prosecution team looked surprised, saying they were never briefed about the letter.
