Kampala, Uganda | URN | Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the German Embassy in Kampala have approved the cremation of Bernhard Berry Glaser, the German-born Belgian national who succumbed to cancer at Luzira prison last week.
At the time of his death, Glaser was battling accusations of molesting Ugandan girls at his children’s home in Kalangala. According to the cremation permits, the cemeteries officer at KCCA, the deceased’s friend Albert Ntambiko will take charge of the process on Tuesday 12th at the Hindu Crematorium located along the Lugogo bypass in Kampala.
The same permission was granted by the German Embassy and the deceased’s relatives who are all not in Uganda.
Albert Ntambiko …. has all rights to receive and dispose of his body. The deceased’s wife as the next of kin has given him procuration for this purpose,” reads the consent letter from the German Embassy in Kampala.
The deceased’s lawyer Evans Ochieng has confirmed this development saying the cremation will go on as planned and as willed by the deceased.
One of the deceased’s friends Quraish Kwesigabo last week said that Glaser, 73, asked to be cremated in his will and ashes to be given to his wife and the daughter who currently live in Germany and the United States of America.
Kwesigabo says that Glaser had willed that some of his remains be taken and splashed at Mwena landing site in Kalangala district where “Ssese Humanitarian Services,” an organization he founded is based.
By the time of his death, Glaser had spent more than a year in jail battling 19 charges related to indecent assault, aggravated defilement and child trafficking. Glaser was first arrested in November 2013 after two girls under his care accused him of sexual abuse. He was subsequently detained for more than two months.
However, in 2015, justice John Eudes Keitirima dismissed the charges against him for lack of evidence. The cases were reopened in 2019 and Glaser was kept on remand until the time of his death.