A businesswoman has been arrested for allegedly obtaining Shs60 million from an unnamed member of parliament after posing as an official from the Office of the President and promising to secure government programmes for the legislator’s constituency.
The suspect, identified by police as Hope Tumwebaze, 53, from Mbarara City, was arrested in Kampala following investigations into the alleged fraud.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said Tumwebaze is accused of impersonating an official from the Office of the President to convince the MP that she could facilitate the rollout of government projects in the constituency.
According to police, between June last year and the months that followed, the suspect allegedly met the legislator several times in different parts of Kampala and claimed that selected government programmes had already been allocated to certain districts but required financial facilitation to speed up implementation.
Investigators say the MP transferred the money to Tumwebaze in instalments, believing the payments would help secure the promised projects for constituents.
Police said the legislator later became suspicious and reported the matter, leading to Tumwebaze’s arrest.
Authorities believe there could be more victims and are investigating whether the suspect used the same method to defraud other people.
“We urge all citizens and public officials to be vigilant. Do not respond to requests without checking first. If someone claims to act for the Office of the President, whether in communication, fundraising, or transactions, confirm with authorised persons,” Rusoke said.
The arrest is the latest in a string of cases involving suspects accused of falsely claiming connections to senior government offices in order to obtain money.
Last week, a joint operation by police and the UPDF Directorate of Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) led to the arrest of six suspects in Nandekula village, Nakigo Sub-county, Iganga District. They are accused of running a fake Youth Development Application Fund in the name of President Yoweri Museveni’s daughter, Natasha Museveni, to defraud members of the public.
In February, security agencies also arrested four suspected cyber fraudsters in the same area. The suspects allegedly operated fake TikTok and WhatsApp accounts using Natasha Museveni’s name and photographs, promising financial assistance to victims in exchange for so-called processing fees.
