Ug Mirror has learnt that the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has arrested two suspects for impersonating the Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority Mr. John Musinguzi Rujoki.
According to the statement issued by the authority on Wednesday, Muhumuziibwe Ronald, 26 years old and Mutambuzi Francis, 38 years old were arrested because of creating fake Facebook, run in the names of the Commissioner General of the URA.
The statement further stated that this fake account was being used in an attempt to defraud the public through false promises of jobs and business opportunities with URA.
“Investigations have unearthed these two individuals and useful potential exhibits including 7 used sim cards, 4 unused sim cards and 6 original National Identification cards have been recovered from them,” The statement reads.
The authority also established that one of the suspects operates a sim card registration business and he takes advantage of clients’ National Identification cards forgotten at his shop to fraudulently register sim cards and then uses them to contact and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
“A complainant who commenced interactions on 27th April 2020 with the fake Facebook account in an attempt to reach out to the Commissioner General was instead alarmed when the fraudsters running the fake account promised him a contract with URA for a kick-back of Ugx 10,000,000, “The statement adds.
The statement further stated that the complainant contacted URA about the scheme and investigations into the duo’s arrest were started. The suspects are to be charged under the Computer Misuse Act and the Penal Code Act.
The tax authority urged the public to stay vigilant and to always reach out to them through official contact channels for inquiries about any of their services.
“The public is also encouraged to swiftly report cases of impostors to URA or any nearby Police station so that such unscrupulous persons are duly arrested and effectively prosecuted,”.