UCC orders radio stations to refund money lost to fake witchdoctors
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has given ten working days to five radio stations to refund all money lost by different people as a result of promoting and advertising witch doctors.
The commission in a hearing involving radio stations; Apex FM, Metro FM, Star FM, FUFA FM and Dembe FM also directed the stations to write letters of undertaking not to air the said content again.
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“At the hearing, audio recordings of conmen or purported witchcraft practitioners were played and the broadcasters tasked to explain their contents which are deemed as aiding and abetting electronic fraud contrary to sections 19 and 21 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2011,” a statement from UCC reads in part.
“In what appears to be an organised crime, one of the recordings bears a voice of a purported witchdoctor called Nalongo Bafuna who shares her telephone contacts on air and calls upon listeners to send to her mobile money and expect quicker and bigger returns from the traditional spirits “emisambwa”,” the statement continues.
UCC cites an example of a complainant from Buikwe District who was conned of Shillings One Million, Four Hundred Thousand that was sent through mobile money to a purported traditional healer that advertised her services on Apex FM in return for quick fortunes and good luck. The Complainant has since reported the matter to Police and the Commission for action.
According to the regulations body, advertising and promoting witchcraft violates Section 2 of the Witchcraft (Cap124).
