Fraudsters impersonate govt officials to con Ugandans

CRIME 

Several government ministries and agencies are being used by fraudsters to con unsuspecting members of the public, senior government officials have warned.

The fraudsters impersonate senior government officials or purport to be calling from government ministries/agencies before they fleece Ugandans under the guise of securing for them jobs.

In a notice published in the New Vision on January 4, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development issued a statement warning the public against fraudsters using the ministry's name to con unsuspecting Ugandans.

The Ministry's permanent secretary, Robert Kasande, said the fraudsters were using his name to con members of the public.

"I have received information since December 9, 2020, that fraudsters using a landline telephone number are calling various institutions and individuals purporting to be calling from my office and claiming that I am nominating them or some of these institutions' board members to the board of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda," Kasande's statement said.

He warned the general public to desist from falling prey to the fraudsters, saying the energy ministry was not looking for anyone to join the Petroleum Authority of Uganda board or any other institution or agency under the ministry.

"Those making these calls are fraudsters and therefore the general public should be aware and should not fall for their scam," he warned.

Similarly, the Health Service Commission (HSC) in a notice published on January 6, expressed concern over some unscrupulous individuals who were impersonating the commission chairperson, Dr. Pius Okong, to con unsuspecting members of the public.

Like in the case of the energy ministry, HSC said the fraudsters were using the guise of job offerings to con unsuspecting members of the public.

"Several reports have been received of individuals making telephone calls to deceive unsuspecting health workers and solicit money in order to give them jobs claiming to be Dr. Pius Okong, chairperson HSC. In other cases, the impersonators ask professionals to recommend colleagues for non-existent jobs," a statement from HSC said.

The HSC therefore advised the public to desist from abetting the vice by yielding to the conmen and giving them money or releasing contacts of colleagues because all HSC services are free.

Sources said police has since been alerted about the fraud, and the HSC has also urged the public to report any such incidents to police.

Police has time and again warned the public against fraudsters who take advantage of unsuspecting members of the public and con them of their money in the name of promising them jobs.

According to the 2019 annual crime report, there was an increase in cases of personation where perpetrators created Facebook accounts in the names of high-profile personalities and obtained sh8.3m fraudulently.

The report also said obtaining money by false pretence was the highest category reported under Economic Crimes, with 10,598 cases in 2019 compared to 12,313 cases.

"This is mainly motivated by desires to make quick money thereby making unsuspecting members of the public victims to such fraud," the report said.

State House case

The developments come at a time when the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) in December 2020 arrested the Assistant Private Secretary to the President, Caroline Kembabazi, on allegations of threatening Electoral Commission (EC) workers over failure to offer jobs to two of her relatives.

Sources at the SHACU revealed that Kembabazi who was arrested by the Police detectives attached to the unit had allegedly threatened to take action against some top officials of the EC if they rejected her demands to offer jobs to two of her relatives.

The detectives allegedly found her still grilling officials of the human resource department and took her to the SHACU. The visibly scared official was grilled for some time and told to write a statement but was released on Police bond and told to report back for further questioning.

It was indicated that the senior staff in the human resource department who were embarrassed by Kembabazi's statements, called State House for intervention but they referred them to SHACU which immediately sent a team who arrested her.

The EC spokesperson, Paul Bukenya, confirmed the incident saying a senior official at the Office of the President had put the workers at ransom demanding two offers for her relatives.

He said one of their officials in the human resource was put under undue pressure to yield to her demands, which he said were not available.

Col. Edith Nakalema, the head of SHACU, on December 1 told participants during an anticorruption convention at Royal Suites Hotel in Bugolobi that she had ordered the arrest of a senior secretary to the President.

Nakalema who was defending her staff against accusations of bribery stated that she does not spare anybody reported in allegations of corruption.

She said President Yoweri Museveni had good intentions of appointing people in various offices and that he does not have the capacity to ‘search' their souls on whether they will be corrupt or not.

"The President appoints people in trust that they are going to do what they are supposed to do, although others betray his trust," she said.

Answering concerns on what she could do to fellow State House workers who may be involved in corruption, Nakalema said that recently two presidential advisors, Dr Hillary Musoke aka Kisanja and Catherine Kusasira, were arrested after she received complaints that they could have had links with Pastor Sirajje Ssemanda who allegedly defrauded fellow pastors billions of shillings.