A United Nations (UN) judge duped a young woman into coming to the UK to work as her slave while she studied at the University of Oxford, a court heard.
Lydia Mugambe is accused of taking “advantage of her status” over her alleged victim in the “most egregious way”.
It is claimed she prevented the young Ugandan woman from obtaining stable employment and forced her to work as her maid and provide free childcare.
Ms Mugambe denies all four charges against her.
Prosecutors allege that Ms Mugambe, a Ugandan High Court judge, had the intention of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself” from the start.
She is accused of “illegal folly” with Ugandan Deputy High Commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa, in which they conspired to bring the young woman to the United Kingdom.
The two are accused of engaging in a “very dishonest” trade-off in which Mr Mugerwa allegedly arranged for the Ugandan High Commission to sponsor the woman’s entry into the UK in exchange for Ms Mugambe attempting to speak with a judge in charge of Mr Mugerwa’s legal action.
Ms Mugambe is also accused of arranging the alleged victim’s travel “with the intention of exploiting her,” as well as attempting to “intimidate” her alleged victim into dropping the case.
According to Oxford Crown Court, the defendant previously told police she had “diplomatic immunity” and could not be arrested because of her work as a judge in Uganda and at the United Nations.
Jurors were informed that the Metropolitan Police’s diplomatic team had been contacted and that Mugambe did not have registered diplomatic immunity in the United Kingdom.
According to her UN profile page, Ms. Mugambe was appointed to the judicial roster in May 2023, three months after police were called to her Oxfordshire home.
Caroline Haughey KC, who opened the case on Monday, stated that Ms Mugambe “took advantage of her status over [her alleged victim] in a most egregious way”.
“Ms Mugambe used her knowledge and power to dupe [her alleged victim] into coming to the UK, taking advantage of her naivety to induce and deceive her into working for her for free.
She went on to say that the judge, who was pursuing a PhD in law, had “created a situation where [her alleged victim] was deprived of the opportunity to support herself”.
The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues.
