Police in Njeru Municipality in Buikwe district have arrested six money lenders for impersonating staff of the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority and extorting money.
The suspects work with Moskal Enterprises Uganda Limited, a money lending agency located at Wobulenzi , Luwero district.
Some of the suspects have been identified as Moses Kalyowa, the manager of the agency, Omar Kasamba and Umar Kiyingi among others. Some of the suspects were arrested from Luwero district and others from Njeru municipality.
Edwin Okiror, the legal officer of Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority says that the Authority got complaints from Njeru municipality that a group of people impersonating their staff were extorting money from lenders to process operating licenses for them.
Okiror says that they launched an operation together with Njeru Police before they arrested some of them traveling in a vehicle branded with UMRA logos. He said that UMRA and Police conducted a search at their offices located in Wobulenzi town only to find that they were also operating without a license before they closed it.
Moses Kalyowa, the manager of Moskal Enterprises Uganda Limited said they were only helping to sensitize their fellow money lenders on how to apply for licenses from UMRA.
Some of the borrowers in Wobulenzi town pleaded with Policemen to surrender their National IDs, cards for motorbikes and land agreements which the agency was keeping as part of securities at their office insisting these may be misplaced.
The agency’s records were impounded and together with suspects transferred to Njeru Police Station for investigations. Hellen Butoto, the Police Spokesperson for Sezibwa Police region said that she was still waiting for a report before commenting on the matter. The suspects face charges of impersonation and operating a money lending business without a license.
Recently Police in Luwero arrested two men who were impersonating as State House employees and reportedly forced a man to sign a transfer of 80 acres of land.
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