Arua police have detained a man from Wakiso District, accused of defrauding teachers in Arua by pretending to be the State Minister for Higher Education, Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo.
The suspect, Victor Aja Adame, a 43-year-old resident of Galuga Bukaya Village, Katabi Town Council, is alleged to have swindled Shs35 million from the staff of Logiri Girls SS, claiming to be acting under Minister Muyingo’s orders.
In September 2023, Adame reportedly visited the office of the headteacher of Logiri Girls Secondary School, asserting that the minister had tasked him with identifying eligible teachers not on the government payroll and those deserving of headteacher promotions.
He also promised that the top four A-Level students would receive government scholarships to any public university.
Upon Adame’s introduction, the headteacher, Ms Lillian Apio Tak, convened a staff meeting to relay the information.
It was discovered that 31 teachers, three nurses, and one lab attendant at the school were in dire need of the ministry’s service.
Adame is said to have asked each of the 35 staff members for Shs1 million, promising to consider them for headteacher promotions and inclusion on the government payroll.
He assured them that they would hear from Minister Muyingo by the end of December 2023.
However, after receiving the money, Adame ceased answering the headteacher’s phone calls and later turned off his known mobile phone number, leading the headteacher to suspect fraud.
She subsequently reported the matter to Arua Vurra Central Police Station at Odumi, filing a case of obtaining money under false pretenses.
The suspect was located, apprehended, and held at the police station, with Shs2 million recovered from him.
Josephine Angucia, the spokesperson for the West Nile Police region, stated that all victims have been summoned, their statements taken, and additional relevant witness statements recorded.