Impersonation is a crime that has become rampant in Uganda, particularly among individuals who claim ties to powerful figures in government, political parties, or security agencies.
Many of these impostors pretend to be law enforcement officers or professionals in fields they have no qualifications in, using deception to exploit unsuspecting victims.
In a recent case, a well-known National Resistance Movement (NRM) cadre went as far as infiltrating the judiciary by posing as a practicing lawyer, scamming people out of their money and disrupting the justice system in the process.
Jackson Ntwatwa, a devoted NRM cadre from Nakifuma County in Mukono district, was arrested on Tuesday for representing a client in court without a practicing certificate (PC).
His arrest came after the Nakifuma Grade I Magistrate discovered that Ntwatwa, despite presenting himself as a lawyer, was not licensed to represent clients in legal matters.
The magistrate promptly ordered Naggalama Police to take Ntwatwa into custody, highlighting the serious implications of impersonation within the legal system.
The ‘unlearned criminal’ panicked and was sweating profusely, like a trapped rat, and his explanation was rambling and confusing.
According to the Advocates Act, it’s illegal for a lawyer to practice without a valid certificate, which they must renew every year. That’s why it’s standard for lawyers to show their practicing certificate in court.
Despite this rule, Ntwatwa told our reporter that he graduated with a master’s degree in law, claiming to be knowledgeable about legal matters.
Before his arrest, he presented himself as a lawyer representing the family of Juma Nsimbe, who was claiming ownership of land belonging to Zaina Nansereko, a 70-year-old resident of Kyabakadde in Kyampisi Sub County.
When Ntwatwa couldn’t show his practicing certificate, the magistrate ordered him to leave the court but insisted he explain the mistakes in his name. The magistrate then told the police to arrest him.
The fake lawyer pleaded with the police not to embarrass him by handcuffing him and asked if they could escort him to the station instead.
Recently, Ntwatwa ran as an independent candidate for the Nakifuma County parliamentary seat but lost to Kafeero Ssekitoleko in the party primaries.
He also made headlines when he expressed his loyalty to the NRM and wrote to President Museveni on June 16, 2021, asking to be considered for the position of Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, which was still vacant after the cabinet announcement.
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