The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Masindi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID has arrested a man for masquerading as an official from Isimba prisons farm in Masindi district and conning nine people Shillings 100 million.
CID spokesperson Charles Twine identifies the suspect as Gerald Muntuyera alias Rogers Akugizibwe.
According to Twine, the suspect has been hoodwinking produce dealers that Isimba prisons farm has a surplus of maize to sell at a fair price.
He says the traders couldn’t suspect Muntuyera was a fraudster since he often met them outside Isimba prison fully dressed in the official prisons uniform.
Hebert Mwinganiza, a third year student of Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Rural Innovations at Makerere University is one of Muntuyera’s victims.
According to Mwinganiza, he was locked up by his boss last month after the suspect conned him of Shillings 8.6 million.
Mwinganiza explains that the suspect posted a message in Masindi agriculture producer’s Whatsapp group last month claiming that Isimba prison was stuck with plenty of maize and needed urgent buyers.
“When I called him, he said he would sell to me 20 tons of maize.” He explains that the suspect instructed him to wait for him at the prison quarter guard.
Dennis Orech, a produce trader from Lira city also allegedly lost Shillings 16 million to Muntuyera and his group.
Orech says that he received a call from Muntuyera who introduced himself as Afande Asaba Moses, the officer in charge of Isimba prisons saying there were looking for buyers for maize.
Police have urged all those that might have been conned by the suspect to register their complaints.
According to Section 381 and 382 of the Ugandan Penal Code Act, person who is found guilty of having impersonated another may be imprisoned to serve a term of seven years in prison.
******
URN
