The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has uncovered an elaborate fraud attempt involving a 71-year-old retired teacher, Bernard Etin, who posed as the stepfather of a slain soldier to illegally claim state compensation.
Etin, a resident of Away Village, Kacung Parish, Agwata Sub-county in Dokolo District, filed a complaint before the Commission claiming to be the stepfather of the late Private Felix Etin (RA/207120).
Felix, 25, was allegedly shot dead by his colleague, Corporal Williams Edcu, on March 29, 2011, at the Singo Army Training Wing in Nakaseke District, just days before deployment to Somalia.
In his petition, Bernard alleged that Felix’s killing amounted to a violation of the right to life and demanded compensation from government, holding the state vicariously liable.
A Carefully Built Lie
Although the Attorney General’s representatives, Josephine Kiyingi and Ojambo Bichachi, denied liability, the Commission moved to establish Bernard’s legal standing.
What followed was a stunning revelation.
On August 11, 2025, the UHRC directed its Lira office to investigate Bernard’s relationship with the deceased.
Within a week, investigators traversed Dokolo, Kwania, and Apac districts. Their August 18 report confirmed that Bernard was an impostor.
The findings showed that Private Felix was an orphan, born to Owodo Francisco and Ekul Esther.
His only surviving relatives are his sister, Judith Akello, his paternal aunt, Night Aceng, and uncle, Abel Obura. None of them had filed or even contemplated seeking compensation.
Looting the Dead
Investigators also revealed that within five days of Felix’s death in 2011, Bernard had posed as a stepfather to claim some of the deceased’s personal belongings from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
These included two Nokia mobile phones, an army identity card bearing Felix’s photo and force number, and a PostBank smart card.
The Commission expressed hope that no further benefits had been paid to Bernard and directed the UPDF to freeze all payments connected to the deceased until legitimate family members come forward.
In a strongly worded ruling delivered at UHRC headquarters in Kampala, the tribunal branded Bernard “a masquerader, impostor, fraudster, and conman who nearly defrauded the state of millions.”
It further criticised the lapses that allowed the fraudulent claim to drag on for years.
“Had the original investigators of this matter been diligent, and had the Commission’s legal officers studied the file carefully, Bernard’s criminal intentions would have been exposed within three months,” the ruling stated.
Orders of the Commission
The tribunal made the following rulings:
- The complaint was dismissed with costs.
- The Chief of Defence Forces must stop any payments to Bernard.
- The Inspector General of Police must open criminal investigations into Bernard and his accomplices, Tonny Odongo and Scovia Wilembe, for perjury, forgery, uttering false documents, personation, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
- Felix’s rightful family was advised to file in the High Court to revoke the fraudulent letters of administration obtained by Bernard and recover any benefits already taken.
The UHRC described the case as a warning against fraudulent attempts to exploit Uganda’s human rights system and the compensation mechanisms linked to security forces.
As UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya and her fellow commissioners continue to hear cases, the Etin fraud scandal is likely to stand out as a turning point in tightening oversight.