Maravi

(BBC) Uganda witch doctor 'lied to BBC' over child sacrifice

COMMENT - These are the kind of tall stories lapped up by the BBC and printed as fact, without fact checking - something the BBC seems to be allergic to.

Uganda witch doctor 'lied to BBC' over child sacrifice
Page last updated at 11:23 GMT, Thursday, 25 February 2010

Polino Angela tries to persuade witch doctors to stop human sacrifices
A former Ugandan witch doctor has been charged with lying about carrying out child sacrifices in a BBC report.

Polino Angela told the BBC Newsnight programme he had killed about 70 people, including his son, before becoming an anti-sacrifice campaigner.

He allegedly repeated his claims to a Ugandan police officer and has been charged with "giving false information to a public officer".

He reportedly denied the charges and was remanded in custody.

Moses Binoga, head of the Anti-Human Sacrifice and Trafficking Task Force, said the police had spoken to relatives and neighbours of Polino Angela's son, who all say he died of malaria and was not sacrificed.

"The boy died a natural death," he said.

"Seventy people [killed] was just fantasy to make the story look interesting."

Mr Binoga said that Mr Angela had admitted lying, saying he hoped the international publicity would lead to a flow of donations to his organisation.

Mr Angela said he carried out the killings in the 1980s.

He says he stopped in 1990 and now tries to persuade other witch doctors to stop carrying out child sacrifices.

Mr Binoga said he had not yet decided whether he would ask to formally question BBC correspondent Tim Whewell.

The task force does, however, fear that child sacrifice is a growing problem, with 29 suspected cases last year.

Many Ugandans believe in the powers of witch doctors and traditional healers.

Some say that potions made with human body parts are more powerful.

Labels: BBC, PROPAGANDA, UGANDA

posted by MrK @ 6:07 PM