KAMPALA, Uganda — Three men were arrested Monday after attempting to extort millions from a prominent Jinja-based religious leader by forging documents and posing as investigators from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), authorities announced Tuesday.
The suspects were apprehended following a tip-off that unraveled their scheme targeting Pastor David Fredrick Isanga, the leader of the Universal Apostles Fellowship Church of Righteousness. The fraudsters falsely claimed the pastor was under investigation for trafficking counterfeit U.S. dollars.
SHACU, working with Uganda’s Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), identified the impostors as Kintu Aggrey, Isiko Moses and Nuwagira Herman.
At a press conference in Kampala, SHACU Deputy Head Moses Ochwo detailed how the trio repeatedly summoned the pastor between September and October. Posing as SHACU officers, they initially demanded 20 million Ugandan shillings (about $5,400) to “close” the fabricated case, later escalating the demand to 130 million shillings (about $35,000).
The ruse involved bogus summons delivered via email and meetings at upscale venues. On Oct. 7, a forged letter compelled the pastor to appear at the Kingdom Kampala Building, where officers lay in wait. A search yielded incriminating documents, including the counterfeit summons.
Ochwo praised the pastor’s vigilance, noting that Pastor Isanga had wisely sent a church elder and a lawyer to handle the initial talks. Lawyer Derrick Isabirye later lauded the swift action, stating SHACU’s response “saved my client from ruinous loss.”
The three men face pending charges for forgery, uttering false documents and impersonating officials. Ochwo urged citizens to verify all anti-corruption claims via SHACU’s toll-free line, 0800-202-500, amid rising scams that exploit public trust in anti-graft institutions.
