The Police in Arua district have in their custody a 43-year old man for allegedly defrauding 35,000,000 shillings from staff of Logiri Girls Secondary School in Arua district.
The suspect has been identified as Victor Aja Adame, a resident of Galuga Bukaya Village, Katabi Town Council in Wakiso District.
He was arrested on Friday in Entebbe after close to seven months of tracking by police detectives and transferred to Arua district where the crime was committed on Saturday.
It’s alleged that in September 2023, Aja went to office of the Head teacher of Logiri Girls Secondary School in Arua district disguising himself as a staff working with the Minister of State for Higher Education Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo to reportedly identify teachers/staff who are due for promotion and those not on the government payroll.
The suspect allegedly demanded one million Ugandan shillings from each of the 35 staff at the school in order to consider them for promotion and enroll those who are not on payroll on government payroll such that they can start receiving salaries from the government.
Josephine Angucia, the West Nile Region Police Spokesperson has confirmed the suspect is being detained at Arua-Vurra Central Police Station at Odumi.
According to Angucia, the matter was reported by Lillian Apio Tako , the head teacher of the school on January, 16, 2024.
“The suspect has been traced, finally arrested and detained. Victims were all summoned and their statements recorded as well as statements from other relevant witnesses. An Exhibit of two million Ugandan shillings was recovered and kept by police, as inquiries continue into the matter under Arua Vurra District CRB 078/2024”, Angucia said in a statement.
Lillian Apio Tako, the head teacher of Logiri Girls Secondary School told URN that they became suspicious after the suspect stopped picking her phone calls and later switched off his known mobile phone number which prompted her to register a case of obtaining money by false pretense with police.
“He stopped picking my calls and later switched off his phone which made me to suspect him to have defrauded my staff”, Apio said.