Police in Masaka are holding two men accused of vending fake HIV treatment drugs and conning dozens of his victims of millions of shillings for “treatment”.
The suspects are Festo Mugabe 37-year-old, a Rwandan national living in Kanombe village, Nyarugunga in Kigali and Nathan Karamuzi 28-years, a resident of Kalwazi in Kakuuto sub county, Kyotera district.
The duo was picked up by police from a Hotel in Masaka City, where they were operating their “treatment center” for conning unsuspecting clients.
They were picked on a tip off by some of their clients who became suspicious of the herbal concoctions they were administering to the HIV patients and their mode of treatment.
Twaha Kasirye, the Greater Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson confirms the arrest of the duo, adding that Police have also recovered the herbal concoctions.
The suspects had hired a hotel room in Masaka City, which they were using as their treatment and counseling center.
It is alleged that the two have been charging their victims between 150,000 and 300,000 shillings for a dosage of the herbal concoction, and misleading HIV positive patients to stop swallowing ARV drugs prescribed to them.
Kasirye indicates that they have also obtained intelligence that the suspects were building a network of marketers linking them to HIV positive patients.
Deusdedit Kalule, one of the scam victims, says he was linked to the quack herbalists by one of his neighbours in Lukaya town council, Kalungu district who convinced him that he would get a cure for one of his relatives. At the time of their arrest, the suspects had instructed him to go back and bring the patient so that he could be enrolled onto the treatment.
Nathan Karamuzi, one of the suspects has told Police that his accomplice told him that he received the cure in form of a divine revelations.
He indicates that the concoction is comprised of traditional tree leaves, roots and grasses, that are also used to heal different kinds of ailments.
Despite not having any certifications, Karamuzi insists that their concoction is being used by different groups of patients across the East African countries.
Claims of people pretending to provide a cure against HIV/AIDs is not new in Masaka, and many gullible people have fallen victims of such scams.
In 2013, Police arrested Emmanuel Ssebunya, a resident of Gayaza village in Masaka district along the Masaka-Bukoba Highway, for a operating an “HIV treatment center” near Kitovu hospital in Nyendo Ssenyange Division-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com.
