Journalist charged with impersonating energy minister Muloni to defraud

Buganda road court has charged, Arafat Ndugga, a journalist with offences related to impersonating the Minster for Energy, Eng.Irene Muloni.

On Monday, grade one magistrate Esther Nahirya charged Ndugga, student of Makerere University with impersonation, electronic fraud and obtaining money by false pretence.

It is alleged that on February 26, Ndugga falsely presented himself as Minister Muloni before conning one Maria Kanyamugara shs 90,000 using Facebook.

According to a statement by the minister seen by this website, in January she realised that someone was using her names and title to defraud registered companies with the Petroleum Authority of Uganda.

“Ernest Rubondo, the Executive Director at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda called me to report of a suspicious email purportedly originated by me and forwarded me a copy to which I later confirmed someone was impersonating me,”Muloni says in her statement at police.

“I told him to report to police as I also talked to the then security minister, Lt.Gen .Henry Tumukunde over the matter for a follow up. The different emails continued coming in and some people were being defrauded of their money.”

The minister says that the fraudster was defrauding many people using her name and promising them jobs and businesses in the energy sector.

It is also alleged that Ndugga also known as William Musinguzi created a Facebook account in the names of the energy minister and using her photo,he defrauded Sam Watasa shs1.2 million purportedly for buying cement for Muloni’s building site in Ntinda.

According to one of the conversations to be used as evidence, a Facebook account in the names of Irene Nafuna Muloni is seen requesting for money from one of the government officials as the energy minister.

He also contacted Dr.Medard Bitekyerezo who is the board chairperson of the National Drug Authority asking for money on Muloni’s behalf, hacked into Peter Lokeris (Minister of State for minerals)  phone and requested for money from various individuals and the Energy ministry Permanent Secretary Robert Kasande was also defrauded of a huge sum of money by the same suspect.

“I highly suspect these fraudsters have a network or its one by the names of Arafat Ndugga alias William Musinguzi,”Muloni says in her statement.

The state told court on Monday that investigations into the matter are complete and asked for a hearing date.

Buganda Road grade one magistrate Nahirya adjourned the matter to April 24 for hearing to commence.

Arafat Ndugga has provided services as a journalists for media houses including; Daily Monitor, Eagle Online among others.