TORORO: Police in Tororo District are holding a businessman for allegedly selling counterfeit cement disguised as a genuine product.
The suspect, Richard Omwa a resident of Bendo B zone in Akadoit sub-county and his seven accomplices who are on the run were selling the adulterated Tororo and Simba cement, according to police.
The suspects have been ferrying pit sand from an unknown location, which they would mix with Tororo and Simba cement before selling each bag in Karamoja and Teso sub-regions at Shillings 25,500.
Police say that the production of counterfeit cement has been ongoing for over two years. Suliman Mukoli Musa, the Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigations in Tororo district, says that they have so far recovered over 2 tons of counterfeit cement in Maliri center A zone and confirmed Omwa’s involvement in the scam.
Wille Osogel, the LCI chairperson of Merikit center A zone, the home of the phoney cement factory says that he learnt of the illegal production of cement in his village three weeks ago. He says that he immediately approached police who came and arrested the suspects but released them the same day.
Heet Raval, the marketing manager of Simba cement was so shocked to learn of the development arguing that the illegal production of adulterated cement undermines products.
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