Police in Gulu is investigating allegations of defilement against Deputy Speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanyah’s campaign manager.
Acellam Ben, a former Gulu district Vice Chairman and campaign manager for Oulanyah who is also the Omoro county MP is alleged to have defiled a 16- year old senior four student(names withheld) of Heligoland Senior Secondary school in Pageya in Bungatira sub county, Gulu district.
Aswa region police spokesperson Okema Jimmy Patrick said a case against Acellam was reported Acellam of 29th of December. Acellam was arrested on the same day but was immediately granted police bond. According to Okema, Acellam will report to police on January 4th.
The father of the 16- year old girl, Santo Akena and her paternal Uncle Geoffrey Odong had on December 18th reported to police the girl’s disappearance from school under SD reference 58/18/12/2015. But on discovering that the girl was with Acellam, the family of the girl reported a case of defilement at Gulu Central Police under CRB 3561/2015.
The headmistress of the Heligoland Senior Secondary school, Winifred Adokorach, told our reporter that the girl left school much earlier and did not even sit for her third term exams.
When contacted, Acellam denied the defilement allegation saying it is a political motivated case against him because of his mobilization work for the NRM.
“The only mistake I have done is to mobilize for my NRM party and Jacob Oulanya the deputy speaker, “he said.
This is not the first time that Acellam is facing such allegations. While Vice Chairman of Gulu district under the late Walter Ochora, Acellam was dropped from his position after he was accused of molesting under aged girls.
In her statement to police, the alleged defilement victim said Acellam was helping to pay her school fess. She denied having any sexual relationship with him. She also told the police that she is 18 years old and not 16 as claimed by some members of her family.
The girl’s father, Santo Okema, alleges that her daughter’s mothers is in cahoots with the alleged defiler.
“I can’t sell my daughter for money if my wife has already taken some money then, she should also be arrested,” said Okema.
