Amuria district deputy RDC Geoffery Oumo, on Wednesday, arrested a man who allegedly masqueraded as Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer soliciting money from some people seeking to be recruited into the army.

On Tuesday, Oumo disguised as a parent seeking assistance from UPDF officers to help his children get recruited into the army following the ongoing recruitment countrywide.

The whole incident happened when the RDC was at a restaurant in Amuria town and overheard one “Captain John” talking to people on phone asking for money and promising to help recruit their children in the army on Friday in Katakwi.

“I was in a restaurant on Tuesday night when I heard him and a colleague talking on the phone with other people promising to help them have their children recruited into the army, so I moved to him and requested him to help me also recruit the children of my brother into the army,” Oumo said.

Oumo is the newly posted deputy RDC in the district, most people do not know him. He used this to his advantage and disguised himself as an ordinary man in need of seeking help.

According to him, the alleged imposter informed him that he had just returned from Congo to help his relatives be recruited into the army.

“I needed to be home so that it’s easy for me to introduce my people to my senior colleagues for approval but I can help you since we are all Itesots,” the fraudster told Oumo.

Completely unaware that he was talking to the deputy RDC, he went ahead to share his number so that they can link up on Wednesday and have the names of his children included in his list.

“He asked me to pay him money so that he can give it to his boss and have my children recruited. When I told him that I was able to pay him sh2m for the four boys, he said that the money was little and requested me to add,” Oumo explained.

Oumo promised to look for more money so that by the time they met on Wednesday morning he would top the money and have his boys added to the list of the “chosen few” to get direct access to the force.

The army combined the people of Amuria and Kapelebyong districts to be recruited in Katakwi district on Friday. The alleged imposter was mobilising a head with the promise that all the people on his list would be the first to be considered.

“I informed the police about him. He called me very early informing me to keep time because he was in a hurry to go away. I assured him that I was coming with the boys and the money,” Oumo explained.

“Minutes later, I also reached there and he was happy to see me. Since we had laid a trap on him, moments later, the police in plain clothes arrived and he was tasked to identify himself but he could not and we arrested him,” Oumo said.

At the police station, the suspect claimed that he was being used by some army officers to get money from people who wanted to join the army.

He claimed that there are many in Teso collecting money but he declined to reveal his identity and the army officers using him. He was locked in as investigations kicked off.

The number he used to call the RDC when checked, was registered under the name of a lady, a one Esther Kulume.

“We are not going to release him not until we establish who he is and who is using him,” Oumo said.