Four police officers have been dismissed from the force for their involvement in a gold fraud scam. The matter stems from a complaint lodged last month by a businessman from Dubai, whose identity has been withheld, at the Minerals Police Unit in Naguru that one Moses Asiimwe and his group, operating under a company identified as Real Sunex Limited, had fraudulently obtained $4 million from him through a fake gold deal.
Upon engaging the complainant, police established the suspects were expecting to receive another 4 million dollars from the same businessman under similar fraudulent pretence. Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said a joint intelligence operation by Police and UPDF was conducted, and sixteen people have since been arrested in the same gold scam syndicate.
The suspects were apprehended from various areas in Kampala, have been identified as Moses Asiimwe, Rogers Mibenge, Edward Kiwanuka, Godfrey Kajubi, Thiery Songore, Bright Ajambo, Grody Matta Mayuku, Soreina Nakahose, William Masaba, Joseph Walusimbi, Anita Ampurire, Patrick Amani, Christian Mugoya, Dicken Kagarura, Grace Letta and Taboma Mbasa.
During the operation, security recovered exhibits including fake gold, incriminating documents and 8 vehicles used in the scam. According to Rusoke, investigations revealed that four police officers had abandoned their official duties and deployed themselves to guard the suspects at the illegal refinery where the operation was being conducted in Kampala.
The officers, all at the rank of Police Constable, are Ayub Kurut, Emorat Raazak, Benon Waiswa and Waiswa Siraje, who were over the weekend arraigned before the Police Disciplinary Court, which dismissed them from the force as they await criminal trial.
“The officers allegedly withdrew from their respective areas of deployment without authorization and deployed themselves in support of the gold fraud syndicate, which is a grave breach of the police professional standards code of conduct,” Kituuma said. On Saturday they were subjected to internal disciplinary proceedings, they were tried, convicted and sentenced to dismissal from the force.”
He noted that the four officers alongside the twelve other suspects will be subjected to criminal trial. Police have also cautioned members of the public engaged in the gold and other precious minerals trade to exercise due diligence in verification of dealers before carrying out huge transactions.
“One of the challenges we have found and the briefing we are getting from the mineral police is that most of the people engaged in dealing in precious minerals have a tendency of doing things underground, wanting quick money, pursuing things which are highly profitable but operating in the dark, and when they get into trouble they come to us panicking looking for justice,” Kituuma said.
In a related development, Counter-Terrorism Police in Entebbe have arrested three suspects who were impersonating police officers in an attempt to rob a foreign investor over the weekend. The suspects, dressed in civilian clothes while claiming to be on duty, reportedly demanded the foreigner’s passport and an unspecified amount of money in his apartment. The trio were apprehended after the investor’s roommate alerted the Counter-Terrorism Unit in Entebbe, which responded swiftly and arrested the three. They were found in possession of warrant cards.
The suspects have been identified as Osire John Piaus, Girengero Piaus and Julius Emogu, currently detained in Entebbe. Preliminary investigations have linked the group to two other incidents targeting tourists and Indian nationals in Kitooro and Manyago, Entebbe. It is alleged that the group targets foreign nationals in areas frequented by tourists, using forged security documents to rob their targeted victims.
Investigations have consistently shown that the increasing involvement of police officers in criminal syndicates is driven by several factors, including poor pay. For instance, police constables earn about Shs470,000 to Shs500,000 and can easily be lured by offers of Shs2m to Shs5m to guard fraudulent deals. The poor pay combined with other challenges such as weak supervision and other institutional gaps, allegedly expose them to fraud networks in breach of the Force’s code of conduct.
Some past incidents, include one in January ’25 where three officers attached to Interpol and Counter -Terrorism at Busia, Godfrey Kali, Peter Owiny and Oscar Odul were arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for aiding the escape of gold scam suspect Najib Kasule, who allegedly defrauded an American national of $840,000 and had been intercepted at the Uganda-Kenya border.
In May 2025, four officers attached to the Flying Squad Unit in Kireka, James Besigye Kiguuya, Simon Owona, Pracid Mulangira, and Monday Tibaijuka were remanded to Luzira Prison by the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly robbing businessman John Vian Tumukunde of 1kg of gold valued at $105,000 and $1,000 cash at gunpoint along Solent Avenue in Nakawa Division.-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
