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Umeme impersonator arrested in Busia district

Busia, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Busia police are holding a man suspected to be extorting money from residents in disguise that he works with Umeme.

The suspect has been identified as Vincent Ouma, 35 years, a resident of Marachi village in Eastern division of Busia municipality.

Ouma is accused of extorting shillings 60,000 from three people and registered the names of 18 people promising to bring them electricity in the area within a short period.

He was found registering as well as extorting money from residents in villages of Asopotoit A, Sireka, Asopotoit B, Sikuda village all in Sikuda sub county of Busia district.

Rashid Sideebe, the LC1 chairman Sikuda village says that he was informed by residents about the man who was moving in the village to write people’s names and collecting money from them pretending that he will bring them electricity.

Sideebe says that he took initiative to locate the man. He said after Ouma failed to avail his identification, the locals arrested him and took him to police.

Wilson Wejuli Polepole, a resident of Sireka village says that the suspect came to his home in disguise that he is from Umeme and promised to bring electricity in the area within five days. This prompted him to pull out twenty shillings thousand and give the man.

Wejuli says that he was notified by his daughter that the man is a thief and called the village chairman to intervene.

Fred Bwire, the acting Gombolola internal security officer- GISO says that he has been registering complaints from residents about an unknown man who was collecting money from the area in disguise from Umeme.

Tony Odonkara, the acting Busia district police commander confirmed the arrest and says that the suspect will be charged with theft by trick and impersonation.

Vincent Ouma while at police cells pleaded guilty saying that he was trying to survive. Police is carrying out more investigations as the suspect is held at the Busia central police station.

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