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Podcast Episode Notes: World of Secrets - Death in Dubai: 6. The Deal
Episode Overview Podcast Title: World of Secrets Episode Title: Death in Dubai: 6. The Deal Presented by: Investigative Journalist Runako Celina Description: This episode focuses on an undercover meeting with a suspected pimp, Charles Mwesigwa (known as Abi), and the challenges faced in the investigation surrounding Monica's tragic story. There is a discussion of serious themes, including suicide and disturbing events related to the exploitation of women.
Key Themes and Discussions
Undercover Investigation
- Preparation for Meeting:
- Reporter Mark poses as an events organizer seeking women for parties in Dubai.
- The meeting involves Troy, a former associate of Abi, who facilitates the introduction.
- First Encounter with Abi:
- Abi is relaxed during the meeting, showcasing a casual demeanor despite the serious allegations against him.
- He discusses logistics for sourcing women for parties and reveals the nature of his operations, including pricing and the extent of services offered.
Exploitation and Deception
- Abi's Claims:
- Claims to provide a supportive environment for women, which contradicts testimonies from women who have worked for him.
- Describes his involvement in the sex trade as a legitimate business, rationalizing the commodification of women.
- Evidence Gathering:
- The investigation captures crucial undercover footage that serves as evidence of Abi’s operations, revealing the dark realities behind his claims.
Encountering Resistance
- Challenge in Confrontation:
- The team attempts to confront Abi at an airport but he evades questioning, showcasing his evasive behavior.
- Despite his lack of accountability, he tries to deflect blame and deny allegations of exploitation.
Family Impact and Community Response
- Monica's Family:
- The episode culminates in an emotional update with Monica's family, revealing the impact of her death and the family's quest for justice.
- Family and friends shared their memories of Monica, highlighting her bravery and kindness amid the tragic circumstances.
Ethical Considerations
- Discussion of Suicide:
- The episode contains sensitive themes, including discussions around suicide, which are handled with care and consideration for listeners' emotional well-being.
Key Takeaways
- Investigation's Importance:
- The undercover investigation aims to expose human trafficking and prostitution networks operating in Dubai, shedding light on the plight of victims.
- Abi's Evasion of Responsibility:
- Abi's responses illustrate a common pattern among exploiters who manipulate the narratives surrounding their actions to evade accountability.
- Community Advocacy:
- The episode emphasizes the need for systemic changes and international cooperation to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals.
Closing Remarks
- The episode concludes with an acknowledgment of the ongoing fight for justice for victims of exploitation and highlights the importance of continued attention to such global issues. Listeners are encouraged to seek support if they are affected by the themes discussed.
Resources
- For those affected by the themes discussed, support can be found at [Befrienders Worldwide](https://www.befrienders.org).
- For UK listeners, information on organizations that provide support after sexual abuse is available at [BBC Action Line](https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline).
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This episode serves as a harrowing reminder of the realities many face in the shadows of society and underscores the importance of investigative journalism in bringing these issues to light.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. I'm Tristan Redman in London. And this is The Global Story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. I want to put all the issues on the table that keep me up at night. The interview, the best conversations from across the BBC.
0:42We're coming up against technology companies that are richer and more powerful than many nation states. With the people shaping our world. There are those that believe that the power of law should be replaced by the law of power. The interview from the BBC World Service. Listen now wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
1:07A heads up before we start that this episode includes strong language, discussion of suicide and some disturbing events. Click, click, hold for one, two, three. Just prepping the gear, make sure it all films together. Marg, our undercover reporter, is getting ready to meet Abi, the man we're told was Monica's boss in Dubai. OK, so, got a camera here. I've got a microphone on my leg here. Put the Omega watch for a bit of bling. Do I look like your average sex party organiser? Half an hour till we meet the source, and then hopefully another half an hour before we're in with Charles. Or Abi. Mark is posing as an events organiser for wealthy men, looking for women for parties in Dubai.
2:09Before he heads out, he calls me to run through the plan again. So we're meeting a source, and then he's going to bring in the guy who's going to bring me in to Abi. And then I'll go with him to where, to Abi's residence, I suspect. Nice. That sounds good. Yeah. Oh, fingers crossed then. Keep us updated, I'm nervous, to be honest. I'm not more nervous than you, though, I'm not sure. Yeah. Alright, here we go. The source he's talking about is Troy, the guy who says he was Abi's former right-hand man. He left the network a couple of years ago, but he's still in touch with Abi and a few of his guys.
2:52He's going to take Mark to meet one of them, then leave.
2:58OK, good. What he's doing is really risky. And after this, he's going to have to lie low. Troy, see you later, man. See you later, boss. Mark gets in a taxi with the man he's just been introduced to. They drive past shiny high-rise buildings, pavements lined with palm trees, and then pull up outside a smart townhouse. It's a nice area. This guy has no idea he's leading an undercover reporter straight to his boss. Thanks, man. So you're taking me... They step into a room that has the windows blacked out. There's several big guys smoking shisha. But Abi isn't here. So Mark is taken to another villa one block over.
3:51Abi, is he just getting ready? No, he's coming. OK, cool. You know, that's a lot of places. Yeah, yeah, he has to move around, I understand. He's a busy guy. And then, a few minutes later, the man we've been investigating for two years, Charles Mwesigwa, known as Abby, walks into the room. Whoa! The man I've heard so much about you, man.
4:25This is World of Secrets, Season 9, Death in Dubai. From the BBC World Service, I'm Renako Selina.
4:42Episode 6, The Deal.
4:50Abbey looks relaxed, dressed in a striped shirt, and completely unsurprised to find a stranger standing in his villa. How are you doing? I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. Yeah, yeah? Yeah, tell me, what's up? Let's go on. So I've got a series of parties coming up, like once a week, ten people. All right. I need some entertainment. And where's the party? Like in rooms? It's in residence, private residence. All right. Can we talk somewhere private? Is that okay? Oh, thank you. Abi leads Mark outside onto a small patio area and then stands right next to a noisy air conditioning unit, making it a bit hard to hear him on Mark's hidden mic.
5:30So it'll be next Thursday? Yeah. And then Thursday after that as well. So these are finance guys. All right. Can you sort me out? I'm just... What do we... Yeah, we've got enough girls. We've got enough girls, he says. Abi then takes out his phone and starts scrolling through photos of them. So you have to tell me which girls you want. What, for sure. We've got like 25 girls. 25 girls now? And fresh all the time? OK, so 20... We've got two villas and that's where they sleep. And do they... Like, yeah, they'll do whatever? Mini are open-minded.
6:11Mini can do pretty much everything. That's the dose, right? Yeah, yeah. We can pretty much do anything you want. You can pretty much do anything you want, Abi says. So we're talking like, what's the normal price? It starts from at least. At least. At least. At least. Basically, it's from like one to step four. So the more crazy stuff they do, if you want to fossa, if you want animal, we're going to ask for that. If you missed that, Abbie says the girls will be happy to take 1 ,000 as a starting price. He means US dollars. And if Mark wants something like girl-girl, a foursome, or anal, it'll be more.
6:55Do they do to buy port-a-potty stuff as well? I've told you, they have opened my, when I say opened my day, and I will send you the craziest I have. Okay. I put some, what, what? And I've got some pretty nasty, crazy. I've got some pretty nasty, crazy girls, he says. He seems to be in full sales mode, smiling a lot, revealing this distinctive gap between his front teeth. He shows Mark more pictures of girls. She's really, really, really, really good old J-Hard as well. Shall I take your number? I'll give you a call back. Hang on. What are you from? I'm Westland. What's the name? I was a bus driver in the UK.
7:41No. Yeah. Where? In East London. In East London? Yeah, I was a bus driver in the UK for 10 years. He then pulls out his UK driving licence and tells Mark he started working in Dubai around the time of the London Olympics. So he's been here since 2012. I go back every month. Do you? Yeah. How did you go from being a bus driver to working here? I mean, I can't say this. I was a prospect, right? I do full business. I do mobile phones. He buys used mobile phones from the UK, gets them repaired cheaply in Dubai, and then ships them to Uganda. On an early trip, he says he noticed a market for black girls in the high-end clubs.
8:28At the time, he says most African girls stayed in the poorer area of Dera. They took me some kind of market for black girls. So I said, guys, why did you get a punch, Mila? They spent more business now. So they're like, that side is expensive, blah, blah, blah. I said, OK. I get a room. They can stay in my flat. But that was like 2016. My God, you've been here a while, man. Yeah. Is it not more stress, though? I mean, it could be something that they enjoy doing. I put a million pounds, but I also do it because I enjoy it. It's become part of me. It's become part of me, you know. The girls enjoy it and they make their money.
9:15And I pretty much help them. Just make their money and then you make the money? I like to retire to sit up for me there. Because they make good money because every day is organized. They sleep in a nice place. So they're pretty much happy. Abi is claiming to be this benevolent figure helping the girls. That's certainly not what I've heard. In fact, it really couldn't be further from what Kira, Mia and Hope told me about how he treated them and Monica. Listen to that. Do you want to start a supper night tonight? Yeah. Let me see. I've got a lot of stuff to do on with this, but I will... Should I give you a call?
9:58Yeah, yeah? Dude, we'll be in touch. See you later, man. Mark leaves the villa and starts looking for a taxi. Fucking hell, that was intense.
10:11Hello? Can you hear me, Renato? Hi, hi, I can hear you, I can hear you. So, how did it go? What happened? I'll tell you, it was so weird pulling up opposite that sort of backstreet that I've spent so long looking at Google Earth in, you know, we've all have. Yeah. He fills me in, but he's worried the kit might have failed. I realised at that point that the flipping camera is getting quite hot and it's almost, like, unbearable to touch. I'm not even sure if it's worked. It did. Meaning now we have evidence. The undercover footage you've just heard of Abbey supplying girls for prostitution, which is illegal in Dubai.
10:56Girls who, in his words, you can pretty much do anything you want to. Mark keeps in touch with Abbey and a few days later calls me with an update, sending me over a screen grab. Right, let me see. I'm going to try and open it on my computer as we speak. Oh, he's giving you his account details. It gets better. When are you next in the UK? If you can come before next Thursday, we can work out. Wow. So possibly there's a meet in there. In the UK. This could be my chance to speak to Abby, to put the findings of our investigation to him. The plan we decide is that Mark will arrange a meeting with him, somewhere fairly public, so that I can then appear and try to talk to him.
11:50This is the only chance, really, to find out what he has to say for himself after all this time of hearing what other people have to say about him, his treatment of them, his behaviour, his operation in Dubai. So, fingers crossed, it actually does happen.
12:16America is changing, and so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. I'm Tristan Redman in London, and this is The Global Story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. I want to put all the issues on the table that keep me up at night. The Interview, the best conversations from across the BBC. We're coming up against technology companies that are richer and more powerful than many nation states.
12:59With the people shaping our world. There are those that believe that the power of law should be replaced by the law of power. The Interview from the BBC World Service. Listen now wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Porn is everywhere. Millions stream it every day, yet nobody seems to know who really controls the business. I'm Alex Barker. I'm a journalist at the Financial Times. Years ago, my fellow reporter Patricia Nielsen and I started digging into the porn industry to find out how the money flows. And in our new audiobook, The Kink Machine, The Hidden Business of Adult Entertainment, you'll hear our investigation into the power and influence that drives the most taboo corners of the internet.
13:47Find The Kink Machine, the hidden business of adult entertainment at pushkin.fm slash audiobooks or at Audible, Spotify or wherever you get your audiobooks.
14:06I'm in a pub in West London, around the corner from the hotel where Mark has arranged to meet Abby. It's about 1.40. We're, I guess, maybe 100 or 200 metres away from the meeting spot, waiting to see if Abby does show. He said that he has to go to the airport first and then he's going to come back to meet us. So who knows if he's coming or if he's maybe sending someone else first to scope things out and see if everything's OK. The hours tick by and there's no sign of Abby. But then something does happen.
14:52I actually can't believe this. While we're here waiting to meet Abby, Abby has sent a message to our whistleblower's truck. He used to be second in command in his operation, apparently. He's saying that he needs help in getting girls who come to Dubai. I don't know if I have an idea of FOMA. Abi asks Troy if he knows how to get visas for girls from Kenya because he wants to start bringing them to Dubai. He also asks Troy if he's in Kampala because he's looking for veterans. I think he means girls who've been to Dubai before. And he asks Troy if he knows any. I mean, the timing of this is just incredible because we're just about to meet him.
15:38It's another layer of evidence about what he does and what his business is. Abi doesn't show up to meet Mark, so questioning him will have to wait. But now that we know he's looking to get girls from Kenya, we bring in another undercover reporter. Someone based in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. I'm calling him Oscar. Hi Oscar, this is Renako. I'm going to forward his number to you. Oscar's going to pose as someone interested in sending girls to Abi. He sends Abi a voice note. I'm Oscar and I'm from Kenya. I got a number from my friend Troy, whom we were with in the last event and I was providing ladies for ushering department.
16:31and he told me he has someone whom he can link me with so that I can maybe provide for him, ladies from his side. All right, that's very good. Literally, we bring girls here to Dubai that want to hustle, you understand? Yeah, so anyone who wants to hustle in bars, nightclubs, but high-end ones, the real, real high-end ones of Dubai.
17:13Oscar asks Abi what he means by hustling. He doesn't respond, but then sends this revealing voice note.
17:31Dubai is rejecting a lot of visa applications. And Kenya has not been targeted of late. It was Uganda, Nigeria, but Kenyan visas are now on the list also. And the thing is, if you apply for a visa and it gets rejected, they don't refund. Money is lost. This suggests Abhi is directly involved in bringing girls to Dubai. Although he says he's struggling to get new girls in Our surveillance has shown that right now He has girls with him at his villa in Dubai And something Monica's friend Mia said comes back to me There are girls at Abi's place who are already dead inside But they just keep moving You're just seeing bodies But the girls are dead They're all suffering They're all suffering.
18:28I know they need help. If you don't stop Abi, it's going to continue happening.
18:41Hi, hi Dean. I'm planning my journey to London. Yeah, I'm gonna let you know in the next 48 hours. 24, 48 hours, yeah. On the 30th of July, Abi gets back in touch with our undercover reporter, Mark. You're not going to believe this team, but Abhi's just messaged saying he's coming over this Tuesday coming, so on the 5th. This could be my chance to finally ask him about everything I've been told. To look him in the eye and see what he has to say. He tells Mark he's coming to the UK for a mobile phone auction. The auction tomorrow is ending in Itzimkendal, above Lancaster. I didn't even know it was a thing, that they sell phones like that.
19:32Mark tries to get Abbie to agree to a meeting while he's in the UK by reminding him of the deal they've been discussing. For Abbie to provide girls for sex at regular events in Dubai. He tells him a lot of money is at stake. It'll be in cash, so you, like, I don't know whether you want to... Can you go through customs with that amount of money? Will you be OK to do that?
19:58Oh, I've been moving cash, big sums of cash for a long time. I know how to move cash. I know how to move cash. OK. All right. Then, Abi tells Mark he has new girls coming soon. Yeah, and I've got some very, very fresh entries that are coming in for winter, for the winter season. They're coming in next week, so... Really? Can you send me pictures? Yeah, I can send you one of them. Yeah. Where did you find her? They're from Uganda. Oh, they're all Uganda. Oh, okay, good. I've sent you. Okay. I've sent you. Have you got it? Let me just check. I've got another coming in. Also very nice. You've had no issues with anyone getting them in?
20:48Is it easy? No, they come with tourist visas. Okay, nice. All right, dude. bye bye
21:05the next day we're in Kendal in the Lake District driving along the river past cottages and over medieval stone bridges yeah yeah we're eight minutes out now with its green rolling hills It strikes me that Kendall has more in common with Monica's rural home in western Uganda than the skyscrapers in desert of Dubai. Just keep your eyes peeled. It's a strange place for a Dubai pimp, but he's told us he's here, somewhere. It's not a big place and we've just got to try to find him. So, do you see this message? That he's loading stock, which means he's still here We're checking everywhere we can think of And calling auction houses, phone shops, industrial estates Hi there, I wonder if you could help me I was trying to find out if there are auctions finishing for electronics and phones We can't find him But then Mark manages to get through to him on the phone.
22:18Yeah, hello. Hey, bro, how did you go? Did you get everything you needed? Yeah, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. But I'm so busy. I'm looking for flight right now. Any flight I get, like, I'm trying to get the next available way out of here, you understand? Yeah, yeah. Let me know when you're flying out. But Abi won't say where he's flying from. Maybe he's getting a bit suspicious. If he disappears back to Dubai again, it's going to be much harder to confront him. Manchester is the closest airport. We race there, jump out and run inside. Is this the check-in for British Airways? Yeah, so we need to find the BO.
22:56405, that's the one. Manchester to Dubai. I just had a scan and there was... I thought it would be him, but it's not. Then Abi tells Mark he's gone through to the gates. He'll not be able to take Mark's calls for much longer, so we decide it's got to be now. Let's do that now. I'll call you and then I'll patch you in. All right. Mr Muesigua? Hello? Hi, Mr Muesigua, Renaco Salina for the BBC. We have evidence that you're operating a prostitution ring in Dubai. What do you have to say to this? Is it 25 young women that you have working? He's hung up already. He's gone. He's gone. Oh, he's gone. I had so many questions I wanted to ask him.
23:48I'm ringing him again. Hold on.
23:53No, no answer. I just messaged him. This is your chance to put your side of the story, bro. He's online.
24:04His message.
Read the full transcript
24:09Bro, please stop tarnishing my name. If I went where girls do their business and they follow me to my parties and do their stuff, is it anyone's problem? When they go to hotels and rent rooms, did you find me seated by their sides?
24:25If they send me messages that they have gotten a visa and I connect them with landlords, is it my fault? If I deal in mobile phones and happen to know many of them, is it my fault? Please next time investigate well. Go deep into Dara. Look for people who bring girls and take passports off them and exploit them. I'm a party animal in Dubai and party with very wealthy people. That's why girls always come onto our tables and look for me. I'm going to hand over everything to my solicitor. I text Abby back and ask what happened to Monica and Kayla. So he says, you are investigating things you have been lied about.
24:58relatives or friends sending you didn't tell you that both were very heavy users of substances and were like mad people especially Mon, which I guess is Mona Monica she died weighing merely 35 or 45 kgs she had been evicted from multiple buildings not paying landlords she moved into a flat of someone new in the business who did not know her because no one in Tekon was giving her a bed this is what he's saying. I tell him I would really like to have a conversation but he just keeps messaging. Unfortunately you have wrong evidence. She died with her passport. I am still chatting with you guys because you have wrong information.
25:49She got her visa, bought her ticket. it. I connected her for a bed space, so he's just the connector. I record a video message with some of the questions I'd planned to put to him. We have evidence that you're operating a prostitution ring in Dubai. We have evidence that you also offer to provide these girls for degrading sexual acts over there in Dubai. Is it true that you told Mona Kears that she owes you 100 ,000 dirhams? How long would it have taken her to pay off that money, Mr He texts back saying Monica stayed with multiple landlords, joined many wrong gangs. I ask him, OK, so are you saying she never worked for you?
26:32And he says, nope, I would have her passport. I text him again. So you're saying she never worked for you? He replies, use logic, please. No. He claims that Monica was not indebted to him. I ask again, what happened to her? He replies, she had lost it. She was like a Philadelphia street zombie. The ones you see on TV. Speaking that way about the dead, it feels very much the same as the dehumanising language that the internet uses about her. Then I ask him, how did she get exposed to drugs? I don't know, he replies. and then I put to him what Michael and Kira remember him saying, that Monica was not the first to die and would not be the last.
27:28I ask him what he meant by this. He just says, the more I am explaining you what happened, the more you want to press to hear something. He completely disassociates himself from everything that's happened in Dubai, from this entire industry, from any wrongdoing. Everyone I've met along this investigation has painted this picture of a man who avoids accountability, whether in the face of family members, whether in the face of authorities. But I almost hoped that he would speak to me, and that hasn't happened. After this, he starts sending us strange updates from his travels. I just touched down in Athens, Greece, for a night and then moved to Doha.
28:24Just giving an insight of my business. Don't put me in that rubbish of Dubai. He seems to be trying to say that he's so busy buying phones, he has no time to be running a prostitution business in Dubai. Why? We put everything to him in writing. He replies saying that he hadn't seen Monica for four or five weeks before her death, and that these are all false allegations. He then also says, family members may be pushing you to change the narrative, but she purely committed suicide.
29:10It's been three years since Monica died, and almost a year since I last visited her family in Uganda. Now it feels like the right time to update them on what I've found out. Not an easy conversation, and to make it harder, it needs to happen over a video link. I'm in London, in a studio with producer Ruth. So basically, whenever you're ready, just join that Zoom call on your laptop, right? In Uganda, one of our other producers, Bondo, is on his way to the family farm in Isinduro. Hi, Runako. Yeah, so it's a good morning and we're almost getting there. We are now going through the hard rocks, going through that path near the banana plantation and we can see the house on top of the hill.
30:07Michael, Monica's relative who was in the UAE when she died, is now back in Kampala, so he's dialing in from there. Hi, Michael. Nice to see you.
30:22Is this already working? OK, we are good to start. Bondo connects. Everyone has gathered around his laptop. Rona, the first person in the family that I talked to, is there. So too is Rita, Monica's sister, and some of the brothers I met when I visited. What's up? Hello, hello. Hi, hi. How are you doing?
30:50Hi, Inasan. Hi, Fanon. Good to see everyone. But then we start having connection issues. Is Maiko there? Because we are deep in the village, our network is on and off. Village network is the problem. Really, can they not hear us? We do manage to reconnect. Hi, Ronnie. But I'm not sure how long the signal will hold out for, so I decide to tell them everything in one go. Firstly, to say thank you for trusting me to investigate. I know it's taken a really long time and you've been so patient, waiting to see what comes back. I know that some of this information will be very difficult to hear. So to start with, so I've spoken to friends of Monica's and they say...
31:50I explained what Kira and Mia told me about the situation they say Monica was in, how they were trapped and had to sleep with men in order to pay off a huge debt. So they told us that she was trapped there in Dubai but she managed to get away and just before she died she was very close to getting free. I'm pausing just in case there's any... I want it to be as comfortable for everyone as possible, so that's fine, yeah? I've been told from Rona that some in the family are holding out hope that Monica is still alive, and they've been trying to protect Monica's mum, for fear that she might not be able to bear the news.
32:44Without having her body to bury, there's been uncertainty. leading up to this call rona messaged me asking me this addressing this is going to be hard everyone that we spoke to who knew her and were around at the time they also believe that she passed away so we don't have any evidence that she is still living and i know that is very hard to hear and to accept but I just wanted to share that with you so you you hear that from us I I don't know how I can explain to you but um I have been crying with this I have been suffering with this I have been thinking about this I have been feeling it deep inside in me actually to dream also because I usually think maybe she's still there I usually think maybe someone keep her somewhere but since you come up and you said she's no longer there my heart it's like it's not healed I can't tell you that it's healed just someone to go in that kind way without even barrier without seeing the body.
34:12I'm sorry. No, you don't have to apologise. You don't have to apologise. Please take your time. I then tell them we think we know where Monica is buried, and give them the details. And then, Monica's elder sister Rita wants to say something.
34:35We failed. We couldn't find the money to bring her back. As a family, we would love to bring her back to bury her. But we could never afford the money to bring her from abroad. Then everyone takes a moment. Rona comes back in with a question. I would like to know what exactly happened, like how she fell. Let's say she fell from the building or someone killed her. We can't say specifically how she died or what happened on the balcony that night. I tell them what Mia said about the landlord and Monica's new apartment, saying he heard Monica fighting with someone on the balcony the night she died.
35:24But we don't know what happened. and we can't say whether anyone was involved in her death. I tell them what we do have a good understanding of is her life in Dubai before she died and the man she was working for. And I'm going to show them some of our undercover footage. OK, just very quickly, just context. So the first clip that you will see is an attempt that we made to further investigate the man that the evidence shows offered the job to Monica to begin with. And then the second clip is the man who Monica was brought to in Dubai, who she was working for. In a sindera, everyone leans in towards Bondo's laptop.
36:12OK, so we are good to go now. You can't see? Mm. Is it? No, I don't have a passport. And in Kampala, Michael is glued to the screen.
36:29When the second clip finishes, the one of Abi offering girls to mark, Michael jumps in. That's the guy, Ronako. That's really the guy. That's the guy who told you. He's the real guy. I don't think personally. Who told me Moniko was not the first and is not the last. The guy told me exactly he's the embassy, he is the police. Nothing I can do to him. Oh, Jesus. You are on the right track. At the farm, one of Monica's brothers, Innocent, wants to speak. I know we can pursue this. I'm sure the government of Uganda is going to stop this gangster. That man is a gangster.
37:29So, really, what other family members are saying, they are in shock now. After revealing all this, everyone, you can see that they are really disappointed. But they have known the truth now. This finding is going to be a beginning point for us to have justice. Thank you so much. I appreciate you saying that, but we don't expect thanks from you at all. And we pray that this makes a difference. The next thing I think that is really important to say is we spoke to many of Monica's friends, people who really cared about her and lived alongside her. And I'm sure they would want you to know just how special she was to them.
38:14they described her as very brave. Sorry, give me one second. Sorry. Sorry, sorry. Sorry. I did not want to get emotional. They said that she was very brave, she was very, very kind and she was the person who stood up for them. Monica's niece, Rona, steps in. I want to say something to Celine. I know because this news of Manika Kalunji won't fall away in many countries. As in, if you get this news out, many people might come out and say something. Maybe someone will get energy to say what exactly happened. Please go on, do your work and please, please, please, please take care of yourself about this investigation.
39:11It's so sensitive, so please think about your life also Thank you, Rona Michael, I just wanted to come back to you Because you were very emotional just now And I could, yeah Michael warns the family not to take things into their own hands Be careful with this information Let the authorities do their work, he says He's still haunted by the memory of the girls he says he saw in Abby's apartment, who must have families that miss them. This man holds many, many girls in his custody. They have the mothers, like Monica, the way her mother now is crying. She will cry for the rest of her life. She's in deep pain.
40:08But if you bring this man to justice, you can save these young girls.
40:21One of those girls who says she was in Abi's apartment that day and witnessed the confrontation was Monica's friend, Kira. She says she managed to escape, but still worries about those left behind. I ask what she thinks should happen now. I think the UK should work with the Ugandan government and Dubai to try and fight for those girls. The last question, I guess, is there anything I haven't asked you, we haven't asked you that you want to say, like a message? If you were to speak to Abina, what would you tell him? I'll tell him. I'll tell him to give his life to God. Justice is always out in the right time.
41:07It's just a matter of time.
41:27If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org This has been the last episode of Death in Dubai, Season 9 of World of Secrets. Thank you for listening. Please leave us a review. It really helps us to get the word out. World of Secrets, Death in Dubai is produced by Ruth Evans, Lee Chung, Bondo and me, Renako Selena The sound design and mix is by Andy Fell The editor is Rebecca Henschke It was a BBC Eye investigation produced in association with Thread Studios For BBC Eye, the executive producer is Milen Larsson and the editor, Mustafa Khalili.
42:33For Thread Studios, the executive producer was Mal Gris. Alex Parkerson is head of production. Siobhan Ray is the production manager and Chris Jones is the assistant producer. Original music by Hugh Jones. The production manager was Maria Caramello and the production coordinator was Katie Morrison. Translation and voiceover by Diana Luanga. Additional reporting by Nicholas Odihambo. Many thanks to the BBC World Service commissioning team that is behind World of Secrets. Before you go, there are eight previous seasons of World of Secrets, the BBC's Global Investigations podcast, waiting for you in this feed and available to listen to right now.
43:29America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. I'm Tristan Redman in London. And this is The Global Story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
From the publisher
An undercover meeting with the pimp we’ve been investigating for two years. And a chase from Dubai to the UK to get answers. Back in Uganda, Monic’s family have been waiting for this moment.
This episode includes discussion of suicide and some disturbing events.
Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.
Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service.
Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.
If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org
For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubai
If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg
