U.S. couple detained in Uganda gets fresh charge that carries death penalty - Yahoo News

KAMPALA (Reuters) -A U.S. mates detained successful Uganda connected charges of aggravated torture of a 10-year-old lad look an further complaint of aggravated kid trafficking which carries the decease punishment if they are convicted, the authorities authoritative said connected Wednesday.

Nicholas Spencer and his wife, Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, some 32, person been successful custody successful Uganda since Dec. 9 aft they were charged with aggravated torture of the kid who was surviving successful their location nether foster attraction successful the superior Kampala. They person pleaded not blameworthy to that charge.

The caller complaint expanse seen by Reuters connected Wednesday showed the mates person additionally been charged with "aggravated trafficking successful children". They person yet to participate a plea connected that.

A lawyer for the couple, who was not identified, was quoted by Ugandan paper the Monitor arsenic dismissing the lawsuit arsenic a "fishing expedition" by authorities, saying they had nary evidence. She was quoted arsenic saying the caller complaint "doesn't marque sense".

Attempts by Reuters to scope a lawyer for them via the tribunal and the prosecutors' bureau were not instantly successful.

Prosecutors impeach the mates of having recruited, transported and kept the kid done "abuse of presumption of vulnerability for purposes of exploitation", according to the complaint sheet.

The caller complaint was work retired to the mates connected Tuesday erstwhile they appeared successful a magistrate's tribunal but they were not allowed to marque a plea arsenic the lawsuit tin lone beryllium heard astatine the High Court, Jacquelyne Okui spokeswoman for the nationalist prosecutor's bureau told Reuters connected Wednesday.

Spencer and his woman were further detained and the day for erstwhile they volition look successful the High Court to instrumentality a plea to the caller complaint has not yet been determined, Okui said.

"We volition statesman the process of committing them to the High Court but we can't accidental erstwhile that volition beryllium finalised truthful they tin beryllium produced successful court," Okui said.

The archetypal charge, aggravated torture of a child, carries a maximum condemnation of beingness successful prison.

On Wednesday the U.S. Embassy successful Kampala declined to remark connected the latest charge. Last week it told Reuters it was alert of reports of the apprehension and detention of 2 U.S. citizens successful Kampala and was monitoring the situation, but had nary further remark owed to privateness considerations.

(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by James Macharia Chege and Alison Williams)