Following the arrest of a former journalist by Kampala Police, Arafat Ndugga was yesterday charged by the Buganda Road Magistrates court for impersonating the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Eng. Irene Muloni
Grade One Magistrate Ms Esther Nahirya charged Ndugga, a student of Makerere University with impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and electronic fraud.
Prosecution says that on February 26, 2018, Ndugga opened a Facebook account in the names of Minister Irene Muloni and conned a one Maria Kanyamugara Shs90,000
Minister Muloni later issued a statement refuting any ownership and relation of that Facebook page that was operating under her names.
“Ernest Rubondo, the Executive Director Petroleum Authority of Uganda called me to report of a suspicious email purportedly originated by myself and forwarded me a copy of the same. I realized someone was impersonating me,†Minister Muloni’s statement reads in part.
“I told him to report the same to police and I also talked to the then Minister of Security Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde over the matter for follow up. The different emails continued coming in and some people were being innocently defrauded.â€
Arafat Ndugga
Ndugga did this to con off unsuspecting Ugandans who sought jobs in the oil sector.
Ndugga also known as William Musinguzi in another separate Facebook account in the Minister’s names cheated a one Sam Watasa Shs1.2m purportedly for buying cement for Eng. Muloni’s site in Ntinda.
Other victims are; Dr Medard Bitekyerezo, current chairman Board NDA whom he asked for money on behalf of the Minister, Dr. Peter Lokeris, current Minister of State for Minerals whose mobile telephone he hacked and requested for money from him and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy Robert Kasande.
In all these case, huge sums of money have been cited.
The Magistrate has set April 24 as date for hearing because investigations are complete. The suspect has been journalist for the Daily Monitor and the Eagle Online publications.
KMP