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Viewing cable 09KAMPALA1241, FRAUD SUMMARY - UGANDA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09KAMPALA1241 2009-10-27 09:12 2011-08-26 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kampala
VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKM #1241/01 3000912
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADCC6B26 MSI7708-695)
P 270912Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1890
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH
INFO ALAFD/ALL AFRICAN DIP POSTS COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS KAMPALA 001241 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
 
DEPT FOR CA/FPP, DHS FOR CIS/FDNS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC UG
SUBJECT: FRAUD SUMMARY - UGANDA 
 
(A) COUNTRY CONDITIONS 
 
1. (U) Uganda is a country in political and economic transition.  It 
is estimated that 31% of its 30 million people live below the 
poverty line, and in northern Uganda, over 70% of the population 
lives below the poverty line.  A high unemployment rate and the lack 
of a living wage for many Ugandans fuel a desire to seek better 
opportunities in the United States and elsewhere.  Corruption is 
endemic, and document and other types of fraud are common but 
generally unsophisticated.  The vast majority of Post's nonimmigrant 
visa (NIV) applicants are Ugandan, and the most common type of fraud 
encountered is the use of counterfeit, altered or fraudulently 
obtained documents.  Post's current assessment of the level of fraud 
encountered locally is high, but generally unsophisticated, with the 
exception of Ugandans and non-Ugandans obtaining genuine passports 
in false identities. 
 
2. (U) Uganda also serves as a transit point for migrants from other 
countries.  Thousands of Indian nationals reside in Uganda, active 
in business and other sectors.  Some Indian nationals have lived in 
Uganda for decades and are well-established professionals.  Others 
are recent immigrants who entered Uganda as tourists, obtained 
temporary work permits, and now seek to emigrate to Europe or the 
United States.  Past and ongoing conflicts and/or economic 
instability in neighboring countries such as the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea provide a 
steady pool of other third-country nationals seeking to emigrate to 
the United States.  Most encounters with these nationalities are 
limited to following-to-join asylee (Visas 92) and refugee (Visas 
93) beneficiaries. 
 
(B) NIV FRAUD 
 
Tourist/Business Visas 
 
3. (U) In processing tourist and business visa applications, Post 
finds that the visa interview is the most effective means to 
adjudicate these cases.  Many Ugandan business and tourist travelers 
have well-documented travel histories to Europe and/or the United 
States.  Ugandans are limited to two year B1/B2 visas by U.S. 
reciprocity, and similar visa validity to the United Kingdom and 
other European countries.  This requires that they apply for visas 
every few years.  Applicants who present new passports or passports 
that demonstrate limited regional travel are interviewed in greater 
detail.  Suspect letters of invitation and support, counterfeit bank 
statements, and inflated claims of income are common. 
 
4. (U) During the reporting period, several B1/B2 applicants were 
refused for fraud and misrepresentation after investigations found 
they had presented counterfeit employment letters and other 
documents.  In many cases, Post does not verify documentation as 
information obtained during the visa interview clearly indicates the 
applicant does not overcome 214(b) regardless of the validity of 
supporting documents.  On occasion, Post has had success checking 
previous visa records to ascertain if the claimed signatory on a 
letter of support or employment has also applied for a U.S. visa in 
the past.  Post reviews the signatory's previous visa application to 
ascertain if the signature on a letter of support or employment 
appears genuine.  Such checks also provide independently verifiable 
phone numbers for claimed employers, and phone calls sometimes 
reveal that the letters of support or employment are forged. 
 
5. (U) Similarly, Post also has good success identifying the 
individual in the United States whom the applicant seeks to visit. 
A common trend is that the applicant is an extended family member of 
someone residing in the U.S., and checks of previous visa records 
regularly indicate that the inviting individual entered the U.S. in 
recent years on a B1/B2 visa and remained.  Such information is very 
useful when reviewing the current applicant's own ties to Uganda and 
whether or not they are also an intending immigrant. 
 
6. (U) Post's most recent B1/B2 visa validation study found an 
overstay rate of 4.5 percent, with a 2.5 percent margin of error. 
Post assumes from the receipt of I-730 following-to-join asylee 
petitions that many of these overstays obtained asylum in the United 
States. 
 
7. (U) In one recent fraud case adjudicated at Post, biometrics 
assisted in discovering an applicant using a second identity to 
obtain an NIV.  He had a strong history of travel to the U.S. and 
was using a diplomatic passport, so his visa was submitted for 
checks and eventual issuance.  When the Facial Recognition (FR) 
check came back, it was clear that he had traveled to the U.S. under 
an alias.  He was called back into the embassy and questioned, and 
admitted using two different identities to travel to the U.S. 
 
8. (U) Post just witnessed another similar case where a young lady 
had applied for visas under three different names, but the 
adjudicating officer was not aware of this until the FR came back 
showing the prior cases (and refusals). 
 
9. (U) Another similar case involved a young lady who claimed she 
had changed her name when still a minor to be able to retake a test 
in school.  She used the name for the better part of the next 20 
years and had an NIV refusal under the new alias.  She then changed 
her name back to her original name and reapplied for a visa under 
her original name and the only way Post was able to discern that she 
had two aliases was through FR. 
 
10. (U) Another vehicle many applicants tried to use over the busy 
summer months was that of the Uganda North American Association 
(UNAA) convention held in Chicago, IL in conjunction with the U.S. 
(Illinois) Uganda Trade and Investment Forum also held in Chicago, 
IL.  FPP ran a text search on UNAA and of 30 cases since 2003, 17 
returned from their travel, 2 claimed asylum and 11 overstayed or 
became LPRs.  The results of this search indicated an approximately 
37% overstay rate.  Applicants registered online or in person at a 
satellite office located in Kampala for the convention.  They 
received a letter from the organizers of the convention: Lt. Frank 
Musisi and Noah Bukenya.  Many of those letters stated that UNAA 
would pay for their accommodation and/or travel.  Obtaining this 
document fraudulently was not difficult for applicants.  They often 
did not know the name of the convention nor how they wanted to 
participate in the convention. In this case, Post would not issue a 
visa.  Many people also tried to obtain visas under the guise of 
entertainers or press.  These people were scrutinized more heavily 
and were expected to have either the proper petition or credentials 
before Post would issue. 
 
Student Visas 
 
11. (U) In a previous reporting period, Post noted a number of 
student athletes had secured partial scholarships to U.S. colleges. 
Checks of academic transcripts presented by a number of these 
student athletes disclosed that the transcripts had been altered and 
a number of the applicants were refused for misrepresentation. 
During this reporting period, Post has noted a decrease in F1 visa 
applications by student athletes.  The typical student applicant 
where fraud has been documented is from a poor-to-middle class 
background, presents a suspect bank statement and claims the sponsor 
is an uncle or other more distant relative.  The presentation of 
counterfeit and altered academic transcripts is also common.  In 
order to combat student visa fraud, Post seeks to verify suspect 
academic transcripts with the Ugandan National Examinations Board 
(UNEB), secondary schools and Ugandan universities. 
 
12. (U) In addition, Post often requests that financial sponsors 
attend the visa interview.  Given circumstances in Uganda, it is 
common that one or both biological parents of a student applicant 
may be deceased and that the applicant claims to have been raised by 
an uncle or guardian.  The term "uncle" is used interchangeably 
between individuals who may be paternal or maternal uncles, or even 
non-relatives who reportedly provide financial assistance to the 
applicant.  Independent interviews with financial sponsors of F1 
student applicants are very useful in determining the true 
relationship with the applicant, and the degree of support that the 
sponsor will provide for the applicant's tuition in the United 
States.  Sometimes an "uncle" called for an interview cannot name 
the applicant's immediate family members, or where the applicant 
attended secondary school. 
 
13. (U) Over the past several years, there have been frequent 
reports of malfeasance and academic transcript fraud within Uganda's 
largest university, Makerere University.  Officials at Makerere have 
stated that they plan to introduce more secure methods of recording 
grades and issuing transcripts, but these changes are still pending. 
 Similarly, officials of the Ugandan National Education Board 
(UNEB), responsible for the administration of Uganda's O and A level 
secondary school examinations, have also stated that future national 
examination certificates may contain more advanced security 
features. 
 
14. (U) More recently, Post has seen a significant increase in 
applicants applying to community colleges in rural or remote U.S. 
cities. There have not been any confirmed cases of fraud with regard 
to community colleges, but the vast majority of those applying to 
these schools were below average applicants.  They often spoke very 
poor English (a consideration in a country where English is an 
official language), had very poor to weak economic ties to the 
person sponsoring them, and rarely knew the difference between an 
Associate's Degree and a Bachelor's Degree. 
 
15. (U) There were also a number of students currently enrolled in 
undergraduate programs at universities in Uganda who then wanted to 
transfer to Community Colleges to work on Associate's degrees.  For 
several applicants, this was an attractive method to gain entry to 
the U.S., as many had other family members already studying and/or 
residing in nearby cities. 
Religious Worker Visas 
 
16. (U) Applications for R1 religious worker visas are less frequent 
than B1/B2s, although active cooperation exists between religious 
organizations in Uganda and the United States.  A number of B1/B2 
applicants encountered by Post are religious ministers engaging in 
evangelical tours of the U.S. as permitted under B1/B2 
classification, and not taking an appointment with one church. 
 
17. (U) Post has noticed an increase in American sponsors retracting 
sponsorship of religious workers for a number of reasons, but 
religious workers are under more scrutiny than in previous years. 
 
K3 Spouse of American Citizen Visas 
 
18. (U) Post encounters suspect K3 visa applications that generally 
fit into two categories.  The first is a Ugandan female applicant 
who met the American petitioner over the Internet.  Typically, the 
Ugandan is unemployed.  The couple exchange E-mails for several 
months then the American travels to Uganda and stays for several 
weeks.  During the visit, the couple marries and the American 
subsequently files I-130 and I-129F petitions in the United States. 
The other category often seen is a male spouse of a female refugee 
who was resettled in the United States.  Upon becoming a naturalized 
American citizen, the female travels to Uganda and weds a refugee 
living in Uganda to whom she was introduced through a friend or 
extended family member.  In both scenarios, the petitioners and 
beneficiaries have never met in person until the petitioner arrived 
in Uganda for the wedding.  The marriage certificates in such cases 
are generally genuine, although in many circumstances the petitions 
are returned to USCIS for recommended revocation, as it appears the 
marriage was entered into for the sole purpose of facilitating the 
beneficiary's immigration to the United States. 
 
(C) IV FRAUD 
 
19. (U) Post assumed processing of immigrant visas for adoption 
cases in October 2006.  All other immigrant visa applications are 
processed by American Embassy Nairobi.  Post assists Nairobi with 
verifying marriage certificates and other documents, such as birth 
and death certificates and school records for immigrant visa cases 
when necessary. 
 
(D) DV FRAUD 
 
20. (U) All Diversity Visa cases are adjudicated by U.S. Embassy 
Nairobi.  Most diversity visa inquiries received by Post involve 
members of the public who have been victims of Internet scams 
promising individuals U.S. visas in exchange for fees.  Post warns 
the public of these scams when advertising the annual kick-off of 
the Diversity Visa Lottery.   Post issued a press release in 
response to one diversity visa scam that targeted high level Ugandan 
officials, who reportedly paid around USD500 to the scam artists. 
Post also assists Embassy Nairobi in verifying certificates 
presented in support of diversity visa cases. 
 
(E) ACS & PASSPORT FRAUD 
21. (U) Post has not encountered any recent ACS or passport fraud, 
although it occasionally receives passport applications for adults 
who have never been documented as American citizens and are unable 
to provide credible evidence of their identity and birth in the U.S. 
 If questions arise regarding the biological relationship between 
the American citizen and a Consular Report of Birth Abroad 
applicant, DNA testing is usually required. 
 
(F) ADOPTION FRAUD 
 
22. (U) Ugandan law restricts a foreign citizen's ability to adopt a 
Ugandan child, and the adoption process is complicated.  Ugandan law 
requires that foreign adoptive parents be physically present in 
Uganda and foster the child for three years before an adoption is 
executed in Uganda.  However, Ugandan High Court judges have 
exercised discretion granting legal guardianship in lieu of 
adoption, permitting non-resident prospective adoptive parents to 
take the child out of Uganda and reside permanently in another 
country.  This has led to an increase in the number of IR 4 cases 
processed by Post. 
 
23. (U) Post has encountered legal guardianship cases where the 
child did not appear to be an orphan as defined by the INA, but the 
true circumstances of the child were openly disclosed during the 
court proceedings and visa application process.  Fraud was not a 
factor in these cases, but the children clearly did not qualify for 
an IR 4 immigrant visa. 
 
24. (U) Recently, Post has also encountered a small number of cases 
where fraud was a factor.  The biological parents were reportedly 
deceased, but field investigations and/or DNA testing confirmed that 
one or both parents were still living.  In two of the cases, the 
claimed deceased biological mother had presented herself in court 
proceedings and at the visa interview as an aunt.  These cases 
generally do not involve traditional orphanages, but rather children 
connected to prospective adoptive parents through charities and 
child sponsorship programs.  The biological parent(s) often reached 
out to the charity originally claiming the child was an orphan with 
the belief that this would make the child eligible for charity 
support and sponsored education.  Subsequently, American financial 
sponsors would inquire about possible adoption and the biological 
parent(s) continued with the false information regarding the true 
history of the child. 
 
25. (U) Given the difficulties and false information that Post has 
encountered with IR 4 visa cases, Post relies increasingly more upon 
field investigations to verify orphan status.  This has 
unfortunately delayed the processing of IR 4 visa applications, but 
Post has found that the Ugandan authorities have no oversight 
mechanism in place or means to verify the orphan status of a child. 
It has also been widely reported in the media that the judiciary is 
known as one of the most corrupt institutions in Uganda. 
 
26. (U) Very recently, Post has encountered possible cases of child 
trafficking.  One particular case involved an American family who 
showed the adjudicating officer a list of fees charged by the 
orphanage to adopt a Ugandan child.  While Post is aware of the high 
costs of adoption abroad, the fees were exorbitant (upwards of 
$15,000 directly to the orphanage and not including travel fares.) 
One fee was for a "donation" to the orphanage, which the Consular 
Officer felt could be construed as child buying.  The case was sent 
to USCIS Nairobi for adjudication as it was considered no longer 
"clearly approvable". 
 
27. (U) Currently, Post is in the middle of a large scale 
investigation involving a Ugandan branch of an American adoption 
organization. During the course of interviews with three separate 
families, it became clear to the adjudicating officer that the home 
in Uganda was presenting false documents. A total of six children 
were being adopted and about 11 death certificates for the 
biological parents of these children were presented at the time of 
the interview.  Each of the death certificates indicated the exact 
same occupation for the parents and the exact same manner of death. 
While this is entirely possible and could be mere coincidence, Post 
felt obligated to investigate further. 
 
28. (U) Post's FSNI found out that the director of the home was 
actually forging documents to present to local government officials, 
who then used them to prepare authentic documents that were 
presented to the Consular Officer during adjudication. When further 
questioned, the director stated the organization is not yet 
registered with the Government of Uganda and that the home does not 
actually have legal guardianship over any of the children living 
there. He also admitted to presenting false documents to the 
Consular Section.  In-depth field investigations are now required, 
consuming most of Post's FSNI's time. These cases are still under 
investigation and will be sent to USCIS Nairobi shortly. 
 
29. (U) Post is also preparing a stand-alone fraud cable on this 
issue to send to CI. 
 
(G) USE OF DNA TESTING 
 
30. (U) Post frequently advises applicants of the availability of 
DNA testing to verify claimed relationships in following-to-join 
asylee (Visas 92) and refugee (Visas 93) cases.  Post also sees DNA 
testing used in support of Consular Report of Birth Abroad 
applications.  All collection of DNA was conducted by a laboratory 
technician at the office of Post's Panel Physician.  As an 
additional measure, one of Post's local employees is required to 
observe collection of the DNA and sealing of the specimen envelope 
before it is forwarded to a U.S. laboratory for testing. 
 
31. (U) With the new guidance issued by the Department, Post will be 
changing its procedure to begin on-site DNA sample collection.  Some 
details on fee and sample collection must still be resolved with the 
panel physicians' office, so DNA collection is currently on hold 
until agreement is reached. 
 
(H) ASYLUM & OTHER DHS BENEFIT FRAUD 
 
32. (U) In adjudicating Visas 92 following-to-join asylee cases, 
Post has observed a number of asylum claims that lack credibility. 
Officers sometimes encounter similar claims that appear to have been 
used previously and recycled by multiple petitioners.  Post has 
encountered a case where the Government of Uganda funded the 
applicant's travel to the U.S. and facilitated their visa 
application with a Diplomatic Note, and the applicant successfully 
claimed asylum.  Post also encounters cases whereby the petitioner 
in the U.S. claimed persecution by the Central Government, yet when 
the following-to-join family members appear for interviews, it is 
sometimes discovered that the relative who has been providing for 
their care is a Central Government employee in good standing.  Post 
also encounters a number of Legal Permanent Residents returning to 
Uganda, and the information often presented indicates that they 
gained LPR status via the asylum process. 
 
33. (U) Post encounters a significant amount of relationship fraud 
in processing Visas 92 cases, and utilizes DNA testing, field 
investigations and interviews when adjudicating the cases.  Almost 
all Ugandan birth certificates submitted in support of Visas 92 
cases indicate the births of the following-to-join family members 
were registered in the weeks just before the petitioner traveled to 
the U.S. (contradicting the common claim by petitioners that they 
did not consider asylum until after their arrival in the U.S.).  In 
other cases, the births were recorded after the petitioner had 
remained in the U.S., and in preparation for an I-730 filing.  Many 
Visas 92 cases involve children from multiple relationships, and 
polygamy is practiced in accordance with local customs.  Many 
Ugandan families care for nieces and nephews who were never formally 
adopted, and petitioners often falsely claim these relatives as 
biological or legally adopted children.  Post has started to receive 
an increasing number of Visas 92 Eritrean cases, and a small number 
of Rwandan cases.  The Rwandan cases have involved fraudulent 
adoption claims for multiple beneficiaries. 
 
34. (U) In possible response to its request for adoption 
documentation, Post is seeing more and more "adopted" beneficiaries. 
 This has led to an increase in investigations to verify the 
authenticity of the adoption documents. 
 
35. (U) Post also processes Visas 93 following-to-join refugee 
cases.  Historically, these cases involved middle-aged, Somali males 
with no evidence of identity or the claimed relationship seeking to 
join wives granted refugee status in the United States.  Post's 
holdings of these types of cases have been reduced significantly. 
Instead, Post is now encountering increasing numbers of K3, spouse 
of American citizen cases of Somali males living as refugees in 
Uganda married to American citizens during short two-week visits. 
 
(I) ALIEN SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME, & TERRORIST 
TRAVEL 
 
36. (SBU) Uganda's location within East Africa and its porous and 
remote borders can be exploited by Al Qaeda and other terrorist 
organizations as well as organized crime syndicates.  While the 
section documented no cases of fraud related to organized crime or 
terrorist travel during the reporting period, Uganda is a transit 
point for such travel. The Ugandan government regularly detains 
individuals suspected of involvement with terrorist associations 
and, during a previous reporting period, deported two South African 
nationals with reported terrorism links.  Two other suspected 
terrorists were arrested in Germany, and were allegedly planning 
travel to Uganda. 
 
37. (U) Post communication with airlines indicates that the most 
common trend encountered at Entebbe Airport is imposters who use 
borrowed or stolen documents to attempt to board flights to Europe. 
In most cases, the suspected imposters are of Somali origin.  In 
this reporting period, airline officials reported two incidents 
involving Somalis presenting fraudulent I-551 cards.  One involved a 
female Somali passenger traveling alone, the other case involved two 
Somali males accompanied by a Legal Permanent Resident of Somali 
origin who attempted to assist/facilitate the accompanying mala fide 
passengers through the airport check-in process.   Individuals using 
fraudulent documents obtained in other countries also pose 
challenges to airlines.  Iraqi nationals have been intercepted 
posing as Turkish tourists, and individuals using photo-substituted 
South African passports have also been intercepted.  Afghan 
nationals were also intercepted attempting travel on fraudulent 
Canadian visas.  According to contacts working at the Entebbe 
Airport, corrupt immigration, airline, and document clearing staff 
have assisted mala fide passengers to board aircraft bound for 
Europe. 
 
38. (U) Recently, three travelers were stopped at Entebbe 
International Airport for traveling on fake French Passports. 
 
(J) DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS 
 
39. (U) In cases of criminal fraud, the Regional Security Office 
(RSO) collects as much evidence as possible and refers the case to 
the police.  In many circumstances, the subjects may be arrested 
but, if released on bail, the subjects never appear in court.  Post 
has had success with cases where a private firm or Ugandan 
government entity actively seeks prosecution of the subject; for 
example, cases where applicants presented counterfeit government 
identification cards or employment letters. 
 
(K) HOST COUNTRY PASSPORT, IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, & CIVIL REGISTRY 
 
40. (U) As noted above, the most common type of fraud encountered is 
use of suspect documents, such as bank statements, letters of 
employment or support and academic transcripts.  A lack of internal 
controls also makes acquisition of genuine but fraudulently obtained 
birth and marriage certificates a fairly simple process.  A 
"declarant" for a birth certificate is not required to be a family 
member or authorized legal representative, and only has to attest to 
the validity of the information presented when applying for a birth 
certificate from the Registrar's Office.  This makes genuine birth 
certificates based upon fraudulent information readily available. 
In turn, the birth certificate may then be used to support a Ugandan 
passport application. 
 
41. (U) Reports of corruption within Uganda's immigration service 
and a lack of internal controls indicate that Ugandan passports are 
obtainable for those seeking to change identities or who have no 
real claim to Ugandan citizenship.  In the past, Post encountered 
about one applicant every three months who has previously applied 
for a visa in Kampala or another Post under a different identity. 
These encounters have now decreased, most likely because of the 
deterrent effect of biometric procedures.  In addition, Post also 
brings cases of Ugandans with multiple identities and passports to 
the attention of the Director of Uganda's immigration service when 
encountered.  This action serves to facilitate investigation of the 
subject holding multiple identities, as well as counters malfeasance 
within the Ugandan immigration service.  Passports currently issued 
by Ugandan immigration authorities are machine-readable and 
photo-digitized.  Previously issued laminated passports are valid 
until their designated expiration dates. 
 
42. (U) Post has seen an increase in Ugandans with more than one 
valid passport. This issue has been raised with the Director of 
Uganda's immigration service.  It remains to be seen how this will 
change in the future. 
 
(L) COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES 
 
43. (U) Host government, local-level officials, and religious 
organizations generally cooperate when Post seeks to verify civil 
documents, but corruption does impact Post's ability to combat 
fraud.  The Director of Immigration has participated in a USG-funded 
border security program in the U.S., and in meetings with Post 
officials has expressed a willingness to investigate Ugandan 
passport fraud and malfeasance. It remains to be seen whether he 
will be successful at these efforts. 
 
44. (U) Recently, Post's FSNI was denied the verification service 
provided free of charge to foreign missions. A mid-level official 
within the Registrar's Office demanded a fee for the service.  Post 
was surprised to hear this and pursued the matter only to find that 
this officer was skirting established protocol.  A subsequent letter 
from the Registrar-General confirmed that no fee was to be charged 
to foreign missions for authenticating documentation. 
 
 
(M) AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN 
 
45. (U) In MONTH of this year, a Consular associate was fired for 
malfeasance.  She admitted to accepting money from outside entities 
in exchange for FILL IN.  The entire staff was warned about this 
practice and it seemed as though the issue was resolved.  In 
September, the Acting Consular Chief received a call from an 
American citizen in the U.S., stating that she was aware of a fraud 
scheme and wanted to notify Post about it. 
 
46. (U) The Acting Consular Chief went to the RSO with the 
information obtained and the RSO began an investigation. It turned 
out that the fired Consular Section employee had opened a visa 
"coaching" business and was supplying paying customers with 
fraudulent documentation and false narratives to present at the time 
of their interviews.  She was also claiming that she still worked in 
the Consular Section. 
 
47. (U) RSO in conjunction with local police raided the offices and 
private residences of the suspect and her chief accomplice.  Post is 
currently knee-deep in confiscated evidence and has a TDY DS 
investigator arriving to assist the RSO in sorting through and 
documenting the evidence. The primary suspect (the fired Consular 
employee) and her chief accomplice are currently in custody and RSO 
is working very closely with Ugandan police and judicial officials 
to press maximum charges against them. 
 
48. (U) There is concern that at least one current employee may be 
involved in this scam as well. RSO has investigated two employees. 
One was cleared of any suspicion, but the other has had significant 
contact with the primary suspect. RSO has been unable to find any 
hard evidence against this employee but she is aware she is under 
probation.  She was temporarily suspended from work pending RSO 
approval to allow her return to the Section. 
 
49. (U) Currently, RSO is continuing its investigation and Post has 
 
 
 
(N) STAFFING AND TRAINING 
 
50. (U) Post's Fraud Prevention Unit consists of a Consular Officer 
assigned the role of Fraud Prevention Manager.  As a two-officer 
Post, fraud prevention duties are in addition to other full-time 
duties which include visa adjudications, ACS services and all other 
assigned tasks.  Previously, Post's Regional Security Office and the 
Consular Section shared a locally employed fraud investigator, but 
this position was vacant until August of this year.  Post has hired 
a full-time locally-employed fraud investigator who has assisted the 
section immensely and completed many successful investigations in 
his short time here. 
 
LANIER