A senior three student and two men have been charged with impersonation and fraud after allegedly posing as prominent Ugandan businessman Hamis Kiggundu in an online scam aimed at defrauding the public.
Ruth Nandase, 18, a secondary school student, appeared in court on Wednesday alongside Babu Maniharah, 33, a builder.
The two were arraigned before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A third suspect, Frank Sempa, 25, a street hawker, is also implicated in the case.
According to state prosecutor Ivan Kyazze, the trio is accused of using social media platforms between 2023 and February 2024 to impersonate Kiggundu. They allegedly created fake online profiles and promised financial assistance to unsuspecting victims in a scheme designed to swindle money.
One such victim, Shafic Kawooya, reportedly lost Shs50,000 after being deceived by the fraudsters.
The case came to light after Karim Serugo, the public relations officer for Hamis Enterprises Ltd., reported the matter to authorities following an encounter with a TikTok account impersonating the businessman.
Nandase and Maniharah were remanded to prison until April 28 after failing to present sureties for bail. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.
