REPATRIATED

Ugandan Authorities to Question Weightlifter Who Went Missing in Tokyo

Julius Ssekitoleko returned to Uganda, where authorities said they would interrogate him to determine whether a crime had been committed.

A weightlifter who disappeared for several days in Tokyo during Olympic qualifying returned to his home country Friday, where authorities said they were preparing to question him over his conduct in Japan. Julius Ssekitoleko, age 20, returned to Uganda on Friday morning and was taken to the Criminal Investigations Directorate, where authorities said that he was “resting,” The New York Times reports. Authorities said at a press conference that Ssekitoleko would later be interrogated “to establish circumstances under which he disappeared from the Olympic Village camp while representing the country… and to establish whether there was any crime committed.” Ssekitoleko was reported missing a week ago after failing to qualify for the games and to appear for a coronavirus test. He left a note in his room saying he planned not to return home. He said he instead planned to find a job in Japan, but Japanese authorities found him Tuesday. Desire Nampeewo, Ssekitoleko’s wife, said the couple was in a grim financial situation and had been evicted from their home.