Zurah Nakabugo
4 August 2007
Kampala — Police have recorded 2,097 cases in which unsuspecting members of the public have been cheated of money by con artists in the first half of the year.
Police say the number of cases, which are already above the number recorded over the same period last year, could rise as the Commonwealth Summit and the end of year holiday season approach, and as new cheating tricks come into play.
Many of the suspects are now facing charges of extortion, obtaining money by false pretence, impersonation, making counterfeit currency notes, and uttering false documents.
According to the police, more than 50 individuals, most of whom are based in Kampala, are noted habitual con artists. Their tricks are many and diverse.
They range from pretending to being emissaries of one's relatives living abroad to posing as employees of property tycoon and hotelier Sudhir Ruparelia intending to sell "horse vaccine". Mr Ruparelia keeps horses at his Lake Victoria resort in Munyonyo on the southern outskirts of Kampala. Others pose as district chairmen from the newly created and therefore relatively less known districts.
And the tricks keep evolving. For example, last year, the con artists favoured the use of "black dollars", now they have moved on to "black shillings", especially Shs50,000 notes. They have even adapted their tricks to modern technology. To avoid detection, for example, they buy fresh mobile phone lines for every new con job.
And it is not uncommon for a con man to feign a foreign accent to get his way. If one wanted to sound European or American, say, he or she simply holds his or her nose while speaking on the phone.
But all this comes after they have done careful research on a potential victim. They focus on one's family, friends, jobs held, work colleagues, among many others. With this information in the bag of tricks, they can then pounce with ease pretending, for example, to be bearing a message from a relative abroad.
Police could not reveal the exact amount of money the gullible Ugandans in a hurry to become rich have lost so far save to say it runs in the billions.
Now police have mounted an operation and are closing in on known tricksters who are often repeat offenders. According to the police, many of these people have either served out several jail terms or are out on bail. The maximum jail term handed con artists is five years.
"We think that by taking them to court they can repent but they are just becoming hardcore criminals because they know that their offence is bailable," said Kampala Extra Region Police Spokesman Simeo Nsubuga.
Police want tougher laws that can keep repeat offenders in prison longer. Mr Nsubuga, an assistant superintendent of police, described the many tricks the con artists use.
Sent by relatives
A favoured trick is for con men to approach you saying one of your relatives has sent you goods for sale from abroad. They then ask that you pay money for clearing the goods at the port in Mombasa. The money, in dollars, is supposedly meant to cover taxes and transportation costs. Sometimes they ask that their victim pays the clearance fees through Western Union.
Once they land on the money, they melt into thin air and switch off their mobile phones.
Police in Kampala recently arrested two such suspected con men: Mr Martin Nsereko, a builder and resident of Busega; and Mr Herbert Kamukama, a driver and resident of Kibuye 2 Zone. They affected one of the European accents and conned Lt. George Kiggundu of Army General Headquarters, Bombo, of Shs6.5 million.
They claimed that one of Lt. Kiggundu's relatives named Lillian in London had sent him goods worth Shs82 million and needed Shs8.2 million to clear the goods at Entebbe Airport and in Mombasa. "They said Lillian had sent him 100 Nokia N70 mobile phones, 30 computers, fifteen 14-inch television sets, a generator, golden watches, and a golden ring," Mr Nsubuga said. Lt. Kiggundu sold his car, borrowed some more to top up and lost almost all his money.
Bona Baggagawale cash
Mr Emmanuel Tibaijuka, 36, is a true man of the times. He taps into public policy to make a quick shilling. The anti-poverty project Bona Baggagawale has been particularly lucrative for him.
This resident of Wakaliga Zone in Nateete has reportedly bagged Shs130 million by claiming he can help people access money meant for the newly introduced Savings and Credit Co-operatives or Saccos under the new Ministry of Micro-Finance.
"He has been extorting money from people and passing himself off as a captain or lieutenant in the UPDF attached to Gen. Salim Sale's office in the Ministry of Micro Finance," Mr Nsubuga said. Gen. Saleh is the microfinance minister.
Mr Tibaijuka reportedly asks for about Shs2 million from his targets so that he can connect them to people on high in the ministry to help them process business proposals and acquire loans under bona baggagawale scheme. He has also promised to take a few lucky Ugandans to train in London to work as guides and drivers during the Commonwealth Summit due here in November.
He has been charging Shs200,000 each person for a passport, Shs500,000 to Shs1.5 million for a visa, and even more money for an air ticket. For all that, Mr Tibaijuka is out on police bond. But his luck may yet run out as, Mr Nsubuga said. "Many complainants against him are still coming and recording statements."
Black shillings
Those who want to go from rugs-to-riches in record time have been an easy target for your typical con man - the type who specialises in using chemicals to "wash black shillings" and turn them into ready-to-use "legal" tender.
Mr Richard Kavule is reportedly a fair example of this brand of con man. Police arrested Mr Kavule, who is also a teacher at Bulenga SS, last week. Said Mr Nsubuga: "The con men make enough research about you, then call you and convince you that they stole boxes of black shillings sent to develop NGOs dealing with HIV/Aids and orphans but they lack money to buy chemicals to wash the money and get genuine currency.
"They even confuse you and pour some water on genuine money by pretending that they have used chemicals to wash [previously] black shillings into genuine notes. Then they give it to you to buy something."
After "testing" the money, poor Ugandans accept to pay anywhere between Shs10 to 30 million to buy even more chemicals to wash the black shillings and make even more money. But once they have paid, the tricksters laugh all the way to share their loot.
Industrial bearings
"This type of conning is going down a bit but many people, especially professors, MPs, and ministers lost millions of money early this year through this scam," Mr Nsubuga said.
The con artists claim to be making a deal to buy industrial bearings or oil.
According to Mr Nsubuga, a Makerere University professor fell victim to this trick and parted with Shs100 million.
"Someone called the professor on the phone and identified himself as his former student whom he had taught mechanical engineering at the university," the police officer said. "The con man told the professor that he was working with British American Tobacco, Arua, as an engineer."
He then told the professor that their machines had broken down and that his white boss was travelling abroad to get new bearings.
The deal, the con man proposed, was to have the professor buy the bearings locally and sell them at twice the price to the white boss and spare him the trip overseas.
The professor, who the mzungu would easily believe, was directed to buy a sample from a certain place and give it to the mzungu who accepted them as conforming to the specifications.
Said Mr Nsubuga: "The professor looked for money and even mortgaged his property and vehicles to raise Shs100 million. He bought 100 bearings at Shs100 million but when he took them to the mzungu to buy, he found he had vanished."
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