Police has come out to confirm recent claims made by a woman named Lillian Keitesi who said her life was under threat by her American husband, Paul Mathias Rogers whom she claims is armed with several dangerous weapons.
Whereas Keitesi raised alarm on social media, calling on Police to come to her rescue, Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, Mwesigwa had ordered for an inquiry into the claims which led to the arrest of the 57-year-old Paul Mathias Rogers and search at his residential house.
Police say they recovered “a number of shocking military equipment that include US army uniforms, 153 knives, boxes of ammunition, body armour among others” during the search at Mathias’ home in Bwebajja Mawani Zone on Entebbe Road.
In her plea through a video posted on Facebook, Keitesi said her husband Mathias whom she previously loved and lived with in the United States had badly brutalized her and threatened to kill her. According to her, the threats stem from Mathias’ attempts to secure a Ugandan citizenship which required the signature of Keitesi.
Her failure to cooperate prompted Mathias to assault her and giving her a three day ultimatum short of which he would kill her. She says that when she lodged a complaint at Police in Kajjansi, the DPC in charge was also intimidated by Mathias who told him to drop the case.
“He keeps telling me that he is wealthy and well connected to senior Police officers and he has been threatening junior officers to leave the case or else they will be dealt with,” Keitesi said in a video testimony.
She says her husband is a trained soldier who served four years in the US army, 13 years in the Police and 20 years in security investigations.
“I fled America for my life but he has followed me here. He forced me to abort several pregnancies and traumatized me, tying me up and forcing me to drink his urine. When I insisted and gave birth, now he wants to take away my child,” she said.
“Am asking authorities to come to my rescue. This man is heavily armed and is a terrorist. I request those senior Police officers whom he claims to be connected to; to have mercy on me, imagine if it were your daughter being mistreated”.
Police has, however, clarified in a statement that Keitesi’s complaints were registered at Kajjansi Police on 13 Jan 2018 and they have since opened a General Enquiry File No. 001/2018 to ascertain circumstances surrounding the American’s possession of military equipments.
Following concluded investigations in the complaints raised by Keitesi, the Resident State Attorney has sanctioned the case file soon after which the suspect will be produced in court.
According to the statement by Police, last year, immigration officers at Entebbe International Airport confiscated a rifle that Mathias had brought in the country illegally.
“Police are also working with Immigration officers on another case against the suspect after he was found with expired passports,” the statement adds.
However, following the emerging of Keitesi and her husband’s photos in happier times, her claims have been received with mixed reaction by Ugandans on social media, some suspecting that the conflict stems from disagreements on property owned by Mathias in Uganda which are currently in Keitesi’s names as the law requires.
