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Teacher arrested for impersonating cooperatives’ officials

Police in Mbarara yesterday morning arrested a secondary school teacher for allegedly ripping off a number of cooperatives around Mbarara City.

Julius Twinomugisha, a teacher at St. Victor Secondary School in Buhweju district, was arrested at Mbarara City offices on Wednesday where he had come to meet one of his “clients”.

According to Rwizi region police spokesperson ASP Samson Kasasira, Twinomugisha is a resident of Kitobero cell in Nyamitanga division, Mbarara city south constituency.

Kasasira confirmed that Twinomugisha, a professional teacher with more than 10 years teaching experience, was arrested for masquerading as a Manager for several savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) in Western region.

Some of the affected cooperatives include: Rwanyamahembe SACCO in Kashari, Mushanga SACCO in Sheema municipality and Besania SACCO located in the centre of Mbarara City.

ASP Kasasira says Twinomugisha had intentions of obtaining money from members of the public under the pretext of finding them jobs in the SACCOs.

“He was arrested after the manager of Besania SACCO Mbarara branch (Caroline Natukunda) filed a complaint at CPS Mbarara against Twinomugisha who called two ladies on phone number 0773699528, demanding Shs 200,000 payment before getting them jobs,” Kasasira says.

Natukunda told theCooperator that Twinomugisha was arrested with forged application forms from Besania SACCO before he could obtain money from his potential victims.

During interrogations, Twinomugisha confessed to the alleged fraud, saying that he was looking for means of survival after being hit hard by poverty during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“You see, schools were closed, and as I am a private school teacher, my salary stopped coming in. As a result, I had no alternative of earning upkeep money,” Twinomugisha said.

Twinomugisha was charged with impersonation under Mbarara CPS SD REF 30/19/8/2020. “In case of anyone out there who may have been defrauded by this individual, they are advised  to come to CPS Mbarara to help police with its investigations,” Kasasira said.

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