Uganda prison authorities have confirmed that Bernhard Glaser a German national, who was jailed at Luzira prison on charges of aggravated defilement has died from Luzira state hospital.
A frail Bernhard had appeared in court on Wednesday in a stretcher for a bail hearing where the court ruled he pays 30 million shillings cash bail and proceeds to get treatment in Belgium.
His lawyers had earlier told the Masaka High Court that their client was suffering from cancer that required medical attention however he was denied bail after information that his condition was not critical.
A medical report from the Uganda Cancer Institute -UVI in July 2019 showed that the accused was not in a very bad condition for him to endure a trial.
The deceased was jailed for 28 counts including aggravated defilement and child trafficking among others levied against him in April 2019.
He reportedly ran a joint on Mwena Island in Kalangala “Bery’s Place” where he could lure his victims mainly young girls and subject them to sexual abuse.
He was the Director of Ssese Humanitarian Services, a Community Based Organisation located at Mwena landing site in Kalangala district.
It was allegedly set up to provide rehabilitation services to infected, affected, abused, and violated girls in Kalangala district but hosted only female children who received training in reflexology and Sexual Reproductive Health.
Its not until later that he was accused of sexually harassing these children under his care, leading to his arrest and subsequent trial.
Uganda Prison spokesperson, Frank Baine on Thursday morning said Bernhard was taken to Murchison Bay Hospital in Luzira prison where he died.
This is not the first time he appeared in court on such charges, in December 2013 , he was arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing 19 minors under his care in Kalangala but was later acquitted by the court after the state failed to get incriminating evidence against him.
