Three held  over National ID fraud claims

The National Identification and Registration Authority (Nira) says they arrested three fraudsters who have been taking money from the  public claiming they would help them process their National Identity cards.

The Nira spokesperson, Mr Osborn Mushabe, said two suspects were last week remanded to Luzira prison. The third suspect was arrested on Tuesday at the Nira head offices in Kololo, Kampala, and is currently detained at Jinja Road Police Station awaiting for his production in court either today or on Monday.

While addressing journalists at their Kololo offices on Tuesday, Mr Mushabe said the suspect was arrested after a tip-off that he was pretending to be a NIRA staff and was charging Shs700, 000 from each individual. He targeted Ugandans seeking national identification cards to process passports to travel to Dubai or to acquire  driving licences.

Mr Mushabe said: “After getting this information I called him myself and told him I had Shs300,000 and I told him I  was trying to process a replacement  (driving licence) and asked if I could get it in two days and he assured me I would get the ID in four days if I raised Shs700,000.” 
 Asked how rampant the vice is, he said they had not received many cases previously.

Mr Mushabe, however, said Nira is concerned that three people  have been arrested in one week over registration related offences.  
He told the public that every Ugandan is entitled to a free National Identity card for a first-time holder while others are required to pay Shs50, 000 in the bank for a replacement of a damaged or lost ID card. 

Mr Mushabe said NIRA has put up measures to combat such vices such as establishing a fully-fledged CID Police in Kololo, they have provided toll-free numbers to the public to report cases of fraud and also to report and  follow up on such matters at the various Nira offices to ensure that all matters are handled to the final conclusion.

Asked what charges they are preferring against the suspect at Jinja Road Police, Mr Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, said they were still carrying out investigations with Nira. 

What the law says

Sections  76, 77 and 78 of the Registration of Persons Act, 2015, prohibits  fraud and other registration offences. The law prohibits  unauthorised persons from , among others producing national ID cards and provides for  fines of up to Shs12 million for various registration offences and different jail terms.