United Nations judge Lydia Mugambe, 49, was accused of taking “advantage of her status” over the woman in the “most egregious way”, while she studied for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford
A United Nations judge has been convicted of forcing a young woman to work as a slave.
Prosecutors said Lydia Mugambe, 49, took “advantage of her status” over her victim in the “most egregious way” by preventing her from holding down steady employment and forcing her to work as her maid and to provide childcare for free.
Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, was found guilty on Thursday of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness following a trial at Oxford Crown Court.
Caroline Haughey KC, prosecuting, told jurors during the trial: “Lydia Mugambe has exploited and abused (her alleged victim), taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights to properly paid employment and deceiving her as to the purpose of her coming to the UK.”
Jurors accepted the prosecution’s case that Mugambe – who was studying for a law PhD at the University of Oxford – had engaged in “illegal folly” with Ugandan deputy high commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa in which they conspired to arrange for the young woman to come to the UK.
Prosecutors said the pair participated in a “very dishonest” trade-off, in which Mr Mugerwa arranged for the Ugandan High Commission to sponsor the woman’s entrance into the UK in exchange for Mugambe attempting to speak to a judge who was in charge of legal action Mr Mugerwa was named in.
Mugambe’s trial heard she had the intention of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself”. Mugambe denied forcing the young Ugandan woman to do household chores and said she “always” treated her with love, care and patience.
The young woman Mugambe tricked into coming to the UK, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court previously she felt “lonely” and “stuck” after her working hours were limited. According to her UN profile page, Mugambe was appointed to the body’s judicial roster in May 2023 – three months after police were called to her address in Oxfordshire.
Mugambe had previously told jurors she was “emotional because I was in shock” after she attended a police station voluntarily and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of human trafficking. Her defence, Paul Raudnitz KC, asked why she was described as emotional at the time, and the defendant said: “Because I was in shock, I was emotional because I was in shock.”
Mr Raudnitz said Mugambe was released on bail then attended the police station again the next day, and he asked her: “Why did you go no comment in the second half of these interviews?” Mugambe replied: “Because of the solicitor’s instruction and direction.” The court heard that the defendant sent police a number of prepared statements.
Caroline Haughey KC, prosecuting, asked the defendant if she lied in this case, and Mugambe replied: “I said yesterday that when the police first came to me I made some misrepresentations, and I acknowledge that.” Ms Haughey said the Crown says the “misrepresentations are lies”, adding: “They’re not flexible facts, they’re deliberate untruths.”
The prosecution said Mugambe’s explanation was that she was “shielding people”, and the defendant said she was shielding the alleged victim. Ms Haughey said the Crown says “that’s another lie” and added “the person you were shielding was yourself”, to which the defendant said “that’s not true”.
In body-worn footage from when police went to the defendant’s home, she said “I’m a judge and she came to help me with work”, Ms Haughey said. Ms Haughey said the defendant’s account now is that the alleged victim never worked for her and carried out “light tasks”.
The defendant said: “I don’t know what you mean by light tasks. What I am saying is [the alleged victim] did not come to work for me.” She added that she said that as she was shielding the woman.
Ms Haughey said: “She had been working for you, you just chose not to pay her.” The defendant replied: “You’re so wrong Ms Haughey, I was shielding [the woman]. My understanding was, if I said she’s not supposed to be here, it would get her in trouble.”
Mugambe was accused of engaging in “illegal folly” with Ugandan deputy high commissioner, John Leonard Mugerwa, in which they allegedly conspired to “facilitate the commission of a breach of the immigration law”. She was also alleged to have attempted to intimidate her alleged victim into dropping the case.
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