Escape from coronavirus quarantine: Uganda convicts six Chinese

A court sitting in the Ugandan capital Kampala has convicted six Chinese nationals for escaping from COVID-19 quarantine back in March.

Nakawa Court Chief Magistrate Ruth Nabaasa convicted them upon their own plea of being guilty for disobeying lawful orders, an act likely to spread infection of a disease, The Daily Monitor, an top privately-run newspaper reported.

The paper reports that sentencing has been reserved till May 4 when the court hopes to get an interpreter for proceedings. The day’s interpreter refused to continue his duty in protest against unpaid fees.

Two other Ugandans charged with attempting to help the Chinese escape pleaded not guilty and were also remanded.

The Chinese were arrested and tested following which two of them tested positive for the virus. They were recently discharged from a government treatment facility following which the entire group were arraigned.

Authorities in Uganda are set to press charges against half dozen Chinese nationals who escaped from institutional quarantine about a month ago.

In all, there are six Chines and two Ugandan co-conspirators expected to be arraigned before the Nakawa Magistrates court according to a local journalist, Mujuni Raymond. The suspects are: Huang Haigiang, Li Chaochyan, Lin Xiaofang, Qin Shening, Liang Xinging and Huahg Wei.

According to the journalist, the six had escaped quarantine before two of them tested positive for the virus after they were arrested. The case was temporarily put on hold as they entered government treatment for the virus.

The court process was supposed to have started in March. No charge was formally communicated and they did not appear in court. Prosecution said they were to be charged with doing an act likely to spread an infections disease.

Prosecution said in March that the six on March 19th left a hotel facility where they were supposed to be undergoing mandatory quarantine against COVID-19. They were subsequently arrested and tested.

Apparently they were attempting to cross over to the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, when they were arrested in the Zombo district. They had flown in from Guangzhou in the Guandong Province. The area has been in the news recently for mistreatment of Africans.