Three suspected conmen including a woman have been arrested in Kumi district.
The trio is Semanda Enock Alias, Samuel Emma Tumwebaze and Proscovia Nakawugi. They are accused of conning people of their money through a dubious financial institution.
The suspects allegedly used forged documents to open a financial institution called Nile Financial Services in Kumi. The institution convinced people in Kumi to deposit 25,000 shillings as guarantee for loans.
But two weeks after its opening, the institution closed shop and the purported directors disappeared, leaving the depositors stranded.
Preliminary investigations also show that on August 29th, the suspects convinced James Okurut, a businessman to rent them his house located on plot 37, Oumo Road, Kumi Town Council.
They promised to pay him 21 million shillings for a year, but as soon as two weeks elapsed, they moved all their property which included furniture and books on September 16th and disappeared.
The District Police Commander, Gasper Obingu Onzi, says the suspects were arrested following a tip off from a concerned person who cited the trio at a wedding in Namuggongo Kampala.
The DPC says that he worked with his counterpart in Kiira division leading to the arrest of the suspects.
The suspects are being held at Kumi police station on charges of unlawful extortion of money from the local communities in Kumi district.
The Mayor Soroti Municipality, Alfred Martin Aruo, says the same group of suspects conned several people of more than 50 million shillings in Soroti district.
Police are recording statements from people who fell victim to the conmen. Other service providers including, Kumi Hotel, Green Top Hotel and peasants have also recorded statements with the Police.
But some groups of aggrieved people have vowed to sue the Town Council authorities if their money is not recovered from the conmen.
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