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Masaka Chief Magistrate’s court has sentenced two Rwandan nationals to three years in prison after convicting them of selling fake HIV treatment drugs to unsuspecting patients.
Grade one magistrate Abdallah Kayiza handed the sentence to Festo Mugabe, 37, and Nathan Karamuzi, 28, both Rwandan nationals residing in Kakuuto sub-county, Kyotera district.
The two were arrested in Masaka city for operating an illegal HIV treatment centre, where they were reportedly fleecing desperate clients and misleading them to abandon their antiretroviral (ARV) medication.
Prosecution, led by Michael Wekosase, told court that the accused had rented a hotel room in Masaka City, which they used as a base to meet clients. They reportedly charged between Shs 150,000 and Shs 300,000 for a two-month “dose” of their concoctions.
Wekosase presented a police officer, Ismail Ssemakula, as a witness, stating that the accused had sold him the substances and promised a cure within two months. The prosecution further submitted that the duo had misled the public with false claims, in violation of government HIV/AIDS prevention and management policies.
Court heard that the accused were selling the purported treatment in the form of herbal mixtures and powdered substances packaged in small bottles.
The two pleaded guilty and asked the court for leniency, arguing that they were first-time offenders who had acted out of economic hardship. They also claimed that their herbal products were not harmful to human health and pledged not to repeat the offence.
In his ruling, magistrate Kayiza noted that the accused had not wasted the court’s time by pleading guilty and had demonstrated remorse, factors that mitigated against imposing the maximum sentence.
The court sentenced each of the accused to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of Shs 300,000. The magistrate also ordered that the recovered herbal substances be handed over to the National Drug Authority (NDA) for scientific analysis.
Related
, https://observer.ug/news/two-rwandans-jailed-three-years-for-selling-fake-hiv-dr/
