MCYSEKA-Maritime Cyber Security Knowledge Archive

IN the gilded halls of Dubai’s most exclusive nightclubs, Runako Celina watched on in horror as vulnerable young women rubbed shoulders with VIPs and celebrities – touting themselves for sex.

Going undercover to expose the disturbing phenomenon of so-called ‘Porta Potty’ parties, the reporter had infiltrated a dark world of mysterious ‘suicides‘ and vile sex rings allegedly catering for top clientele including “musicians, footballers and presidents”.

East2West

OnlyFans model Maria Kovalchuk, 20, was found seriously wounded in Dubai after going missing for more than a week[/caption]

East2West

Maria later revealed she was beaten into a coma by Russians at a Dubai party[/caption]

BBC Eye / BBC World of Secrets

Monic Karungi fell to her death from the tenth storey of a Dubai tower[/caption]

BBC Eye / BBC World of Secrets

In a new BBC documentary, titled Death in Dubai: #DubaiPortaPotty, Runako reveals how shameless traffickers have taken grip in the glamorous city, holding young women against their will until they agree to sell their bodies for sex.

The show also explores the deaths of two young women who fell from high-rise tower blocks in the city, with their families now questioning the official rulings of suicide and raising serious concerns about the thoroughness of investigations.

The phrase Porta Potty, first coined by comedian Dave Chapelle, refers to men who get a kick out of subjecting women to depraved sex acts.

In the film, one alleged ringleader behind a Dubai trafficking ring that facilitates women for such warped parties is tracked down.

Charles ‘Abbey’ Mwesigwa, who has strong connections to the UK and describes himself as a former London bus driver, tells an undercover male reporter posing as a potential client that his “girls” are “open-minded” when asked if they’d consider “Porta Potty.”

Mwesigwa has since denied being involved in sex trafficking or playing any part in related violence.

The documentary and an accompanying six-part podcast show the dark side of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is now home to an estimated quarter of a million British expats including countless celebrities.

Young women are lured to the wealthy nation with offers of legitimate jobs and a bling lifestyle, only to find themselves being forced into prostitution.

There are reports of influencers from Britain and other Western countries being offered huge sums of money to take part in cruel sex acts in the oil-rich state.

Many of the clients are European men who go to Dubai to take part in these depraved parties, knowing that the police turn a blind eye to what’s going on.

It is estimated that there are 80,000 sex workers in the city, which has a population of three million.

Investigative reporter Runako, who posed as an influencer so she could film in Dubai, tells The Sun: “We were in the glamorous super clubs of Dubai and there were celebrities on the guest list.

“It was in these places I felt the tension the most, where I felt unsafe, where I was propositioned.

“There were people from all over the world who seemed to be making negotiations with men.”

‘Suicide’ mystery

Runako wanted to uncover the truth after reports of Monic Karungi’s death in April 2022 received 450million views on social media.

The 23-year-old from Uganda, who went under the name Mona Kizz on Instagram, was called a “sl*t” when a video appeared to show her taking part in a Porta Potty party.

But Runako worked out that it wasn’t Monic in the clip and sought out the dead woman’s family in the central African nation.

One of her relatives insists: “My Monic can’t commit suicide.” 

Friends told how a man called Bash Umar promised Monic work in bars or hotels in Dubai.

But when she got to the glittering city, she was held in a grubby flat with 50 girls who were all forced to work in the sex trade.

The girls were allegedly told they had to work off a £2,000 debt for their visa and travel, but he never let them go no matter how many men they slept with.

There is no way she committed suicide. My sister loved life

Kayla’s brother

One of the other victims is Kayla Birungi, who fell from the 13th floor of an apartment in 2021.

A police investigation concluded it was suicide.

But one of her brothers says: “She was my best friend. She told me she was coming back to Uganda.

“There is no way she committed suicide. My sister loved life. We need justice for our sister.” 

Troy, a former operations manager for Mwesigwa’s gang, told the documentary that Kayla went on to the balcony alone after vaping with an Arab client. Toxicology reports found no trace of drugs or alcohol in her system.

Another source told Runako that the client had argued with Kayla prior to her death.

Both Monic and Kayla plummeted from apartments in the same part of Dubai called Al Barsha.

BBC

Charles Mwesigwa, a former London bus driver pictured with a UK driving licence, is unmasked in the documentary as the alleged boss of a degrading sex-trade ring[/caption]

BBC Eye / BBC World of Secrets

Getty

Dubai has a glitzy image but a seedy underbelly[/caption]

Famous clients

Troy, who says he tried to help some of the women escape and quit the trade after a year, claims that Mwesigwa took his trafficked women to the most upmarket clubs in order to find men willing to pay for sex.

The sex workers would be asked to sleep with powerful and famous names.

Troy claims: “They see musicians, they see footballers, they see presidents because the places Abbey [Mwesigwa] takes them to are fantastic places in Dubai, those expensive clubs.

“These are men who come from different countries in the world, they look for girls who will fulfil their sex desires.

“I have heard about the type of sex that I have never seen in my life.”

Degrading sex acts

East2West

Maria is one of a number of women to speak out about Dubai’s dark underworld[/caption]

Instagram

Kayla Birungi also died after falling from a Dubai high-rise building[/caption]

BBC Eye / BBC World of Secrets

Monic’s family hold up photos of her[/caption]

There are other sex rings operating in the Emirati state.

A woman using the false name of Lexi, who was trafficked by another illegal prostitution network, tells how she was offered up to £3,000 to take part in humiliating “fetish” acts.

And Kayla and Monic are just two examples of suspicious deaths.

Anti-trafficking activist Marriam Mwiza, who runs the non-governmental organisation Overseas Workers Voices Uganda, sees dead bodies landing back home.

She explains: “We get cases of people who have been promised to work, let’s say, in a supermarket. Then she ends up sold as a prostitute. 

“I get like five to ten cases daily. Every month I see the number of cases, bodies landing at Entebbe airport. 

“Most are from Dubai. If nothing is done, we are likely to go back into a state of slave trade.”

Every month I see the number of cases, bodies landing

Marriam Mwiza

But it is not just women from Uganda. There are plenty of other disturbing stories coming from the UAE.

One British influencer claimed on TikTok that a prince had offered her £16,000 to engage in a sex act and earlier this year Ukrainian OnlyFans model Maria Kovalchuk, 20, said she was beaten into a coma by Russians at a Dubai party.

Runako says: “This was described to me as a phenomenon, something that is very frequently happening and not just to women of African descent.”

The UK connection

Mwesigwa’s alleged operation shows the international nature of the problem.

The documentary hears how the alleged trafficker regularly travels back to the UK and brings young women from Uganda on tourist visas to the UAE.

Troy claims: “He is selling humans. 

“He will use TikTok to find the girls he wants. He will ask his clients what kind of girls they want. He gets people in Uganda to find the girls, he applies for a visa and within three days he has one for them

“He takes them to nice restaurants to brainwash them into the business. Those who say they are not willing to provide sex… he locks them in their room until they are ready to work.”

Because they have overstayed on their tourist visa, such women are often too scared to go to the police.

Troy adds: “These girls are traumatised. You can’t go home because you know you are hunted by the police.” 

Mwesigwa said in a statement to the BBC: “These are all false allegations. I’m just a party person who invites big spenders on my tables hence making many girls flock to my tables. 

“I knew both girls and they were renting with different landlords. If no one in both flats was arrested or any of the landlords, then there was a reason. 

“Both incidents were investigated by the Dubai police and maybe they can help you.”

For Runako, it is also important that social media users in the West don’t jump to conclusions when rumours spread about people they don’t know.

She says: “The internet painted a picture of Monic as a money-hungry influencer.”

Those people who met Monic insist she did not give into requests to take part in degrading acts.

And that all she wanted was to get back home.

Death in Dubai: #DubaiPortaPotty is available now on BBC iPlayer. There is also a six-part podcast titled Death in Dubai on BBC Sounds.