By Derek kanaloÂ
Police in West Nile region are holding a 43 year old Aja Victor Adame,for defrauding money amounting to UGX. 35m from school teachers in Arua, while disguising as an official from the office of the Minister for higher Education
According to the police spokesperson Fred Enanga the incident happened last year in September, when the suspect Aja Victor Adame made a visit to the headteacher of Logiri Girls Secondary School in Arua district.
“He alleged that the Minister had sent him to the school to identify qualified teachers who were not on the payroll and those deserving promotions which was false.” Said Enanga
He also said, the suspect promised the school teachers that they would be appointed as headteachers and the top 4 students in S.6 would receive government scholarships for university education.
Police said that upon hearing the promising news, the headteacher called for a staff meeting to relay the information, where Subsequently 31 teachers, 3 nurses and 1 lab attendant within the school became victims of the scam.
The suspect demanded Ugx 1,000,000 from each victim, promising that their demands would be met by the end of December 2023. “The victims, desperate to improve their circumstances, gathered the money from their savings as well as micro-loans and handed it over to the suspect, who used it to enrich himself.” Enanga stated
However, upon meeting his intended target of receiving the funds from the teachers, police said that the suspect ceased all his communication with the headteacher of the school and even switched off his mobile phone number of 0784034045.
Enanga said this raised suspicion that he had truely defrauded the teachers, which prompted the headteacher to report the matter to Arua Vurra Central Police Station, resulting in the registration of a case of obtaining money by false pretense amounting to Ugx 35 million.
“The police took swift action upon receiving the report. The suspect, Aja Victor Adame, was apprehended and is currently in custody. Statements from the victims and witnesses were recorded and an exhibit of Ugx 2,000,000 was recovered. The investigation into the matter is ongoing as the police seek to gather all necessary evidence.” Said the police spokesperson Enanga
The police however, reminded the public to exercise caution and be wary of individuals making false promises and engaging in fraudulent activities. “We encourage individuals who may have fallen victim to similar scams to come forward and report the incidents to their local police stations. We commend the swift action taken by the headteacher in reporting the incident, which led to the arrest of the suspect.” Said Enanga
