The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in Kampala are holding a man accused of masquerading as a medical doctor from Mulago National Referral Hospital to extort money from patients at Kawempe Referral hospital.
Acleo Byamukama was arrested on Tuesday morning in a joint security operation involving detectives from the Statehouse Anti-Corruption Unit and Kawempe police station. He was tracked down using his phone contacts following complaints from unsuspecting victims of his extortion scam.
During his arrest at Kawempe Referral hospital, detectives recovered medical forms indicating that Byamukama had been meeting patients in wards and prescribing treatment for them. The suspect was also found in possession of several business cards where he referred to himself as Dr Acleo Byamukama.
A security guard at Kawempe hospital told URN on condition of anonymity that Byamukama is among the many impostors at Kawempe hospital who target patients especially those from upcountry areas to extort money from them.
“We were shocked because he introduced himself to us as a doctor at the security checkpoint. But we later established that his documents were fake including the identity card,” said the security guard.
A police officer at Kawempe police station said they are still tracing for Byamukama’s allies at Kawempe Referral hospital who are still at large. Sources at Kawempe police station indicate that Byamukama is locked up at the Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID headquarters in Kibuli, Kampala as investigations continue.
The Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed Byamukama’s arrest but said he was yet to get details about his case.
Recently, police also picked up Ashraf Agaba who was also posing as a doctor at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Agaba was nabbed by one of the staff in the children’s ward who found him examining children in an unprofessional manner.
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