Four police officers dismissed over $4m gold fraud scam

What the report says

The Observer reports that four Uganda Police Force constables have been dismissed after being implicated in an alleged $4 million gold fraud scheme. The officers — Ayub Kurut, Emorat Raazak, Benon Waiswa and Waiswa Siraje — were brought before the Police Disciplinary Court over the weekend and removed from service. Police said they will also face criminal prosecution.

According to the report, the case surfaced after a Dubai-based businessman complained to the Minerals Police Unit in Naguru last month. He alleged that Moses Asiimwe and associates, operating through a company called Real Sunex Limited, took $4 million from him in a fake gold deal and were preparing to seek another payment through a similar arrangement. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said the complaint triggered a joint intelligence operation involving police and the army.

That operation led to the arrest of 16 suspected members of the syndicate in Kampala and the recovery of suspected fake gold, documents and eight vehicles, the article says. Investigators also alleged that the dismissed officers had left their normal postings and taken up positions at an illegal refinery, where they provided security for the suspects. Police warned people trading in precious minerals to verify dealers carefully and avoid informal, high-value transactions.

In a related development, Counter-Terrorism Police in Entebbe arrested three men accused of posing as police officers in an apparent attempt to rob a foreign investor. The Observer said the two cases add to concerns about officers being drawn into organized crime or using official authority to support it.