A doctor has been remanded to Luzira Prison following accusations of forgery at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court. On Friday, Dr. Francis Taulula appeared before Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayiizi, where he faced four charges related to the alleged forgery.
Dr. Taulula denied all charges but will remain in custody until his next hearing on November 11. The prosecution, led by Ivan Kyazze, informed the court that their investigations into the forgery of Dr. Taulula’s academic qualifications have been completed and are ready to be shared with the defense.
The charge sheet indicates that in 2022, Dr. Taulula allegedly forged a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery, along with an academic transcript, falsely claiming they were issued by Mount Kenya University. Furthermore, it is claimed that he knowingly presented these forged documents in May 2023 at the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) in Kampala.
Court records reveal that Dr. Taulula registered for a provisional certificate on March 22, 2022, using certified copies of his alleged academic credentials. These credentials had initially been issued by the registrar. After completing a one-year internship at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital in March 2023, Dr. Taulula sought full registration, submitting the disputed academic documents to Katumba Ssentongo, the former UMDPC registrar.
Ssentongo then presented the documents to the chairman, Associate Professor Joel Okullo, who found the qualifications suspicious. He requested verification from Mount Kenya University via email, which confirmed that the documents were indeed forged.
According to court documents, when Dr. Taulula was summoned for questioning, he admitted to the forgery. However, as preparations were made to transfer him to police custody, he managed to escape. Following this, the chairman notified the Health Monitoring Unit, prompting the opening of a general inquiry against Taulula on October 4, 2024. He was later apprehended at Kumi Health Centre IV and returned to Kampala.
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