CID grills Saudi businessman over missing Ugandan domestic worker

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Saudi businessman, Majed Al-Abass has failed to explain the whereabouts of his Ugandan maid Martha Apio. The businessman told anti-human trafficking detectives at CID headquarters in Kibuli that he does not know where Apio, whom he employed in 2018 as a domestic worker is.

The detectives picked up Majed a fortnight ago from Bukoto in Kampala on the orders of Tom Magambo, the Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate. He acted on a complaint from Derrick Orone, the Director of Rokas Recruitment Agencies and Gogonya County Member of Parliament in Pallisa district.

Orone explained that they had engaged Majed to explain where Apio is in vain. The legislator revealed that he had received information that Majed had come to Uganda with the intent of taking more girls to Saudi Arabia and was residing at one of the apartments in Bukoto.

Magambo tasked detectives accompanied by Field Force Unit (FFU) personnel to trace Majed leading to his arrest. After being grilled for several days, Majed admitted that he took Apio but he does not know where she currently lives in Saudi Arabia.

“I know her but I don’t know where she is now. I request you to release me to go back and trace for her. I am sure she is still alive and I will get her,” a detective quoted Majed’s statement. CID Spokesperson Charles Twine confirmed to Uganda Radio Network (URN) that indeed Majed said he does not know Apio’s whereabouts.

Twine noted that Majed who came to Uganda on a three months Visa on passport number W411385, has since been released on police bond.

CID through the Internal Affairs Ministry has written to the Foreign Affairs Ministry to liaise with the Saudi Arabia government to trace Apio’s location. The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Kampala has reportedly pledged to help search for Apio.

There have been reports that several girls recruited for domestic work through Orone’s company have never returned even after the expiry of their contracts and their current situation is unknown.

It is alleged that Orone filed a complaint at CID because Apio is the daughter of one of his relatives. The family has tasked him to produce their daughter dead or alive. However, Orone told URN in a telephone interview that only Apio is unaccounted for among the people recruited by his labour export company.

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URN