By Eddie Ssejjoba

THE Police have burst a racket forging seals, stamps and documents of government ministries, foreign missions, security organisations and academic institutions.

The men, mainly operating from City House on Luwum Street, Nasser and Nkurumah roads in Kampala, also issue out academic transcripts of all major universities in Uganda, higher institutions of learning, the Uganda Nations Examinations Board (UNEB) letters and recommendations from employers.

In a joint operation conducted by the Integrated Highway Traffic Police and the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), the police unearthed a heap of documents including original and forged academic transcripts from Makerere, Kyambogo, Kampala International, Mbarara, Nkumba and other universities.

They make stamps and seals of the different land boards and commissions to issue out land titles, bank documents and stamps, Non-Government organizations, embassies and high commissions, security organizations like the police, UPDF, ISO and ESO and state house documents.

Security operatives also recovered logbooks, driving permits and signatures of high profile people in the country. The men also had stamps for each police division station in Kampala and other districts plus hospitals and health centers.

Police publicist, Judith Nabakooba identified the suspects as Julius Sekabuholo (31) a resident of Kamwokya and owner of Green Flowers Express Rubber Stamps based on City House building and two others.

They are Siraje Ssengooba, a resident of Kyengera and Aloysius Bulondo a taxi driver along Mityana Road.
Nabakooba said the police first arrested Bulondo when he presented forged Stanbic bank receipts purporting to have paid the Express Penalty Tickets fees in the bank.

“Our officers scrutinized the receipts and they appeared unique and different from the ones we know, so they approached the bank that found to tress of any transaction with the said client,” Nabakooba said.

She explained that on arrest, Bulondo led the police to the two accomplices to whom he had paid money to make him receipts.

“The police searched his operational area and unearthed heaps and heaps of forged documents, driving permits, logbooks, and over 100 seals and stamps of various organizations and institutions including security agencies.

Nabakooba said that it was a big group but some had been arrested before and charged in court but resume work as soon as they complete their sentence in jail.

“It is a complicated crime because the same people keep committing the same crime after jail and the government loses a lot of money to these thugs,” she said.

She said the police were going to compile a list of names and academic transcripts confiscated and present them to the respective universities for verification and further investigations.
We will later tress the owners to ascertain the authenticity of these documents and how they came to be in the possession of these suspects”, she explained.

“Some people just go to these men and pay some little money and they acquire degrees and diplomas plus various certificates which they present to employers for jobs,” she said.

The suspects, according to Nabakooba would be charged with forgery and uttering false documents.

“But we are still looking for their accomplices because some of them have admitted and are cooperating with the police to dig out more information on this practice,” she said.

She advised employers to cross check academic papers with educational institutions before they issue out jobs to respective applicants.

The acting in-charge integrated highway traffic, Bedah Katureebe said the operation to net drivers who forge driving permits, license and Express Penalty Tickets would continue on all major highways.