A 53-year-old businesswoman from Mbarara City has been arrested by police over allegations of obtaining Shs60 million from a Member of Parliament after allegedly masquerading as an official attached to the Office of the President.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said the suspect, identified as Hope Tumwebaze, was apprehended in Kampala following investigations into claims that she fraudulently obtained money from the legislator by pretending to have influence within the Office of the President.
According to Rusoke, the alleged fraud began in June last year when Tumwebaze reportedly approached the MP on several occasions at different locations in Kampala. She allegedly claimed she had the capacity to facilitate the rollout of government development programmes in the legislator’s constituency.
“The suspect allegedly presented herself as an official from the Office of the President and convinced the legislator that she could facilitate government programmes for the constituency,” Rusoke said.
Police said Tumwebaze allegedly informed the MP that the constituency had been selected to benefit from specific government projects, but that financial facilitation was required to fast-track their implementation.
Believing the claims to be genuine, the legislator is said to have transferred a total of Shs60 million to the suspect in several instalments, hoping the funds would help secure the promised government interventions.
Investigators said the MP later became suspicious after the promised programmes failed to materialise and reported the matter to police, triggering investigations that culminated in Tumwebaze’s arrest.
“The complainant later realised the promises were false and reported the matter to police. Investigations led to the arrest of the suspect,” Rusoke noted.
Police are now investigating whether Tumwebaze may have used the same scheme to defraud other victims.
Rusoke cautioned both public officials and members of the public against making payments to individuals claiming to represent government offices without first verifying their identities.
“We urge all citizens and public officials to remain vigilant. Do not respond to requests or make payments before verifying the identity and authority of anyone claiming to represent the Office of the President or any other government institution,” Rusoke said.
The arrest comes as security agencies continue to crack down on fraudsters impersonating senior government officials and members of the First Family to swindle unsuspecting victims.
Just last week, a joint operation by the Uganda Police Force and the UPDF Directorate of Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) resulted in the arrest of six suspects in Nandekula Village, Nakigo Sub-county, Iganga District. The suspects allegedly operated a fake Youth Development Application Fund using the name of President Yoweri Museveni’s daughter, Natasha Museveni, to solicit money from members of the public.
In a related operation conducted in February, security agencies arrested four suspected cyber fraudsters in the same area over allegations of running fraudulent TikTok and WhatsApp accounts bearing Natasha Museveni’s name and photographs. The suspects allegedly duped victims into sending money after promising them financial assistance in exchange for purported processing fees.
Police have appealed to the public to verify all claims involving government programmes through the relevant authorities before making any financial commitments.
