Following a public outcry over money lenders seizing national identification cards from their clients, police have issued a warning to all micro loan lenders that using any identification documents as collateral is illegal.
This caution was issued on Monday by police spokesperson Fred Enanga who revealed that the law enforcement body has noted that it has become a habit among money lenders who give out micro loans to confiscate national identification cards from members of the public who don’t have security.
Enanga told the press that this act is illegal and criminal therefore police and sister security agencies are going to start treating it as such.
“We are concerned about this misuse of national IDs as collateral. We have got complaints especially from Busoga region, Dokolo, Lango and other districts in central region,” he said.
Enanaga said national IDs have no economic or financial value therefore, it must be used exclusively for identification purposes.
“Any act of confiscation, taking or handing over national ID as collateral is criminal because it denies the owner the ability to use it for identification purposes and other transactions where it is required including movement while traveling,” Enanga said.
He further encouraged anybody whose ID was used as collateral or confiscated to report to the nearest police station for assistance.
For instance, under the registration of persons act section 77b, it is an offense if a person who is not authorised deprives or disposes the holder of a national ID. It is also unlawful for a person to unlawfully take possession of of any ID that belongs to another person.
From now onwards, police said that it will carry out raids on money lenders offices to search for ID cards and those who will be found in possession of them shall be charged to court.
This development also comes high on the heel when the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) is preparing to renew all national IDs that are soon expiring.
