Police at Old Kampala have arrested one suspect for impersonating as a Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) official and defrauding over UGX 80 million.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson SP Patrick Onyango said the arrest follows a case that was reported at Old Kampala police station on September 12, 2019 by one Kyanda Godfrey aged 42, a Businessman alleging that he had been defrauded of his Shs 80 million by purported Assistant Commissioner Customs at URA one Nkurunziza Boaz and alleged Procurement Officer Edmond Munanura.
Kyanda who is also a resident of Nansana West I Zone, Nansana Municipality, Wakiso district, opened a case on September 12, 2019, alleging that Nkurunziza and one Edmond Munanura who also claimed to a Procurement Officer conned him his hard-earned money.
In his statement made in at Old Kampala, Kyanda alleged that the crime was committed during August 2019 at Owino Market.
“The Complainant said that during June 2019, URA advertised for auctioning of motor vehicles and one Mugisha Tonny asked him to participate in the said auction,” Onyango said.
Mugisha told Kyanda that he was in touch with Assistant Commissioner Customs, sitting at level six URA Tower, Nakawa and that the Commissioner would handle the process.
The victim was asked by Nkurunziza to select the vehicles he was interested in according to the advert.
Onyango said the accuser selected nine vehicles. Him and Mugisha met the alleged Commissioner at Sheraton hotel to discuss the deal.
Nkurunziza asked for 96 million shillings of which it included money for number plates registration, clearing with URA and considerations.
“Since Mugisha Tonny is the one who coordinated the ‘commissioner’ to Kyanda, the alleged URA officer asked the complainant to pass all the money through Mugisha Tonny to deliver it to him at his office,” Onyango said.
Kyanda allegedly gave Shs 80 million to Mugisha to deliver it to Nkurunziza Boaz and upon receipt of the same, he was to Kyanda confirming receipt of the money.
Police said despite the suspect receiving the money and promising to deliver the nine vehicles to Kyanda, in a week, the vehicles were not delivered.
“The complaint did not receive even a single car and instead they all switched off their mobile phones,” said Onyango.
After registering the complaint, Old Kampala Police Station launched investigations and established from the former Commissioner Customs, Kateshumbwa Dickson who said that the Authority has never employed Nkurunziza as Assistant Commissioner Customs or Edmond Munanura as Procurement officer.
Kateshumbwa described Nkurunziza and Munanura as impersonators and fraudsters.
Munanura was arrested last year but in his statement he accused Nkurunziza and Mugisha are for defrauding the complainant.
Onyango said Nkurunziza has defrauded many people who have opened cases at Jinja Road, Kira Road and many others.
CID records of last year show more than 30 billion shillings was lost to fraudsters but the biggest scam involved Dunamis Coins where Ugandans were conned over 20 billion shillings.