Africa-Press – Uganda. The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) is probing an Indian national for allegedly defrauding manufacturers and distributors of pharmaceuticals worth more than Shs20 billion.
The proprietor of Escort Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Kampala allegedly procured healthcare supplies from Rene Industries Ltd and Rene Pharmacy Ltd on credit, but has failed to clear the debt despite having sold the products.
Mr Rushikesh Vadodaria, the managing director of Rene Industries, filed a complaint at the Criminal investigations Directorate, accusing the suspect of issuing fake post-dated cheques to allow him time to flee the country.
“On several occasions at the promise of settling overdue payment of Shs912m, Escort Pharmaceuticals Limited has been issuing post-dated cheques which eventually bounced. He (suspect) also issued personal cheques as a guarantee which were also dishonoured. He clearly had an immoral intention to breach the trust of the pharmaceutical sector in Uganda,” Mr Vadodaria states in his petition.
The CID spokesperson, Mr Charles Twine, told this publication yesterday that investigations show that the suspect left the country in November through Entebbe airport.
“We carried out the travel search, tracked his phones and the detectives found out that the suspect is Indian since he has two nationalities. We are now using other mechanisms under the International police (INTERPOL) to have the suspect extradited to Uganda,” he said.
Mr Twine added that CID arrested Escort Pharmaceuticals’ co-director, but he was released on bond because he owned only 5 percent of the company shares, and by law, he could not make any decisions on behalf of the company.
According to the recent police crime report of 2020-2021, 10,057 cases of economic crime were reported compared to 13,264 cases reported in 2019, giving a 12 percent decrease.
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