The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The State Minister of Finance, Henry Musasizi, has spoken out on the money heist at the Bank of Uganda (BOU) in which over 60 billion shillings was reportedly siphoned from the institution’s accounts in September this year and channeled to foreign accounts.
Musasizi was provoked to respond to the ongoing investigations at BoU by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, who expressed concern over the government’s silence on a matter that has attracted local and international media.
Ssenyonyi said an issue concerning the Central Bank should not be taken lightly because it affects the public. He added that it was paramount for the government to come out and inform the citizens of what was happening at BoU.
In response, Musasizi said the matter was being investigated by CID and the Auditor General and promised to update the Parliament in a month’s period.
Musasizi also refuted claims that over 60 billion was siphoned insisting it was less than what is being reported in the media.
BoU probe of 60 billion shillings was first reported as an external hacker but it later turned out to have been an insider job. URN understands that President Yoweri Museveni first assigned CID to probe the matter.
Sources have said that after establishing that there was internal handwork of BOU and the Ministry of Finance, the President asked Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) formerly Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) to take the lead in collaboration with CID, and ESO.
It is reported that so far 17 people including nine BOU staff, six finance staff and two from the accountant general have been probed and five are allegedly being detained by CMI and CID at formerly SIU offices in Kireka.
Electronic gadgets of staff under probes such as laptops and smartphones have been confiscated by the probe team and all those that have been probed have reportedly been put under tight security surveillance.
The money ended up in countries such as Japan and the United Kingdom. It is reported that BOU, CID and NITA-U ICT experts traced the money and the affected institution contracted their counterparts to who blocked withdraws of at least $11m.
Investigation underway
Earlier reports indicate that a joint team of investigators from Defence Intelligence and Security former Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) has so far probed 17 suspects connected to more than 60 billion shillings stolen from the Bank of Uganda.
Sources told Uganda Radio Network (URN) that the $16m million was criminally transferred from BoU accounts to foreign banks in countries such as Japan and the United Kingdom (UK) and was the handwork of staff at the central bank and Ministry of Finance.
URN has been told that out of the 17 people so far probed, nine are workers of BoU, six are at the finance ministry and two are from the accountant general’s office. “This probe is in its fifth week and so far 17 people have been probed. All the interrogated persons have been put under strict security watch and their electronic gadgets such as smartphones and laptops have been seized,” the source said.
However, URN could not verify nor confirm the information since the spokespersons of the involved security agencies did not respond to the inquiry.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Kituuma Rusoke, the Police Spokesperson was attending a meeting while Brig Felix Kulayigye, the Army Spokesperson made our calls busy.
Sources said five people are already in custody at the former Special Investigations Division (SID) at Kinawataka, Kireka, Nakawa Division, in Kampala.
This facility is used by both th police’s Crime Intelligence and the Army’s DIS. The information regarding the detained suspects could also not be confirmed since Rusoke and Brig Gen Kulayigye were not available for comment.
By press time, URN was informed that Joint Operations Commit –JOC had called a meeting to discuss the BoU money heist probe with the view of selecting a committee that will monitor the progress of investigations being led by DIS and CID.
“When such an incident happens, the President guides on how it should be handled. Since he has already assigned CMI to take the lead in collaboration with CID and ESO, our work as JOC is to select a team that will oversee these investigations and we report directly to the President,” a security officer said.
Details so far gathered by DIS and CID indicate that the money was moved from BoU to foreign banks in the month of September. The source said BOU after unearthing the criminal transactions and with the help of cyber experts from DIS, CID and NITA-U traced some of the money on foreign accounts and contacted its counterparts and the accounts were frozen.
“The last information I got from investigators, particularly the cyber team is that $11m was yet to be withdrawn from the accounts and with the help of officials in the countries where it had been sent, these accounts were frozen. Our task is to trace where the remaining money is,” a source said.
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