By THE INDEPENDENT UG
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has refuted any knowledge of a man named Wilson Okello, whose image has been circulating on social media, accompanied by claims that he was a ministry staff member abandoned at Iganga hospital. The picture and messages began circulating on various social media platforms, alleging that Okello was left at the hospital after a collision in Nakalama.
After concerned individuals tagged key officials in the ministry, a team led by Simon Peter Mundeyi was dispatched to Iganga hospital on Sunday to identify Wilson Okello and provide financial assistance if he indeed was part of the ministry’s staff.
Upon reaching Iganga hospital at around 8 am, the team went to the administrator’s office, where doctors confirmed the presence of a patient named Wilson Okello in the male’s ward, bed number five. However, when they reached the male ward, Okello had mysteriously disappeared. It was later discovered that someone had tipped him off about officials from Kampala searching for him, prompting him to swiftly leave the ward, taking his belongings with him.
Further investigations revealed that Okello had been falsely claiming to be a staff member deployed at Malaba border. Inquiries at the Malaba immigration office uncovered Okello’s history of duping people, particularly foreigners, by posing as a ministry of internal affairs staff member. He allegedly acted as a broker to help individuals obtain immigration documents, often soliciting money based on the urgency of the document needed.
Police in Malaba and Nakalama have identified several pending cases against Okello related to deceiving foreigners for financial gain. Okello has a history of similar actions, including a previous incident at Bugiri hospital, where he left after stealing mobile phones and laptops.
A case has been opened at Nakalama, and law enforcement has been alerted to arrest Wilson Okello on sight. Police have also notified internal affairs officials that there is no record of any motor vehicle accident at Nakalama, where Okello claims to have sustained injuries.
This incident echoes previous cases where individuals, both civilians and security officials, have deceived Ugandans by falsely claiming to work for the immigration directorate. In a similar incident a few months ago, a UPDF Captain was arrested for defrauding foreigners, posing as a Major from the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC).
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