Detectives from the criminal investigations directorate (CID) are hunting for a fraudster who managed to con millions out of police officers in a non-existent training in Switzerland.
The fraudster allegedly targeted police officers attached to the directorate of police medical services claiming that they had been selected for a trip to represent Uganda police in Geneva for a healthcare leadership training course organized by the Swiss police in January 2022.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said that the fraudster disguised as the director of medical services, using a landline similar to that of police, contacted several district police commanders (DPCs), asking to speak with their police medical personnel at different police stations.
The unsuspecting DPCs, without any basic verification to confirm the authenticity of the order requiring them to submit their personnel to leave the country, summoned their personnel to speak to the fraudster. The officers were informed that they had been selected for the trip and their passport details were needed.
“Our officers have fallen victims, somebody used a landline that is similar to those that we use, and then posed as a director, and once he could establish that the officer he is talking to don’t have a passport, he would put up a request of about Shs 600,000 to process a passport on behalf of him or her,” Enanga said.
With many officers understandably without passports, the fraudster made a kill when the officers unhesitatingly paid the money to the fraudster for the chance to attend the non-existent training. Enanga declined to reveal the number of police officers who were defrauded in the simple con scheme, saying the fraudster is still being hunted to face the law.
Last year, one Jackson Owere was remanded to prison on charges of obtaining money by false pretence from unsuspecting police officers whom he was promising promotions and transfers to areas of their choice. He was posing as a senior police officer from the office of Inspector General of Police.
Since last week, police have so far arrested over 35 suspects across the country who have been participating in different frauds.