The accountant general, Lawerence Semakula and eight other suspects have been arrested over allegedly orchestrating a $17m (about Shs 60 billion) at Bank of Uganda (BOU).
The money mysteriously disappeared from BOU in September 2024 and ended up in foreign accounts in the United Kingdom (UK) and Asian countries. Since then, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) in collaboration with Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) formerly Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) has been interrogating various individuals from BOU and ministry of Finance.
The CID and DIS probe has zeroed in on nine individuals who orchestrated the hoax payment of a purported contractor and instructed BOU to disburse the money. Others arrested are Jennifer Muhurizi, Mubarak Nansamba, Paul Lumala, Mark Kasuku, Judith Asaba, Deborah Kusiima, Tonny Yawe, and Priscilla Nayebare.
It is not clear what role each of the suspects played in the theft of Shs 60 billion. BOU money heist was first described as a hacker’s handiwork which was later disproved by CID’s. Once CID discovered that it was not hacking but a well-orchestrated fraudulent payment, President Yoweri Museveni directed DIS to join the probe.
By the end of last year, at least 21 staff at BOU, ministry of Finance and the accountant general had been interrogated, and their electronic gadgets including mobile phones and laptops confiscated and subjected to examination.
Through interaction with various sources discovered that out of the Shs 60 billion, BOU was able to recover more than half of it through engaging UK banks. However, BOU was unable to succeed in recovering money that ended in Asian countries.
There is also a probe clue that the money that is said to have ended in Asian countries was actually withdrawn and clandestinely returned to Ugandan beneficiaries in cash or items procured for them. All this information will be proved or disproved by the evidence that will be tabled in court during the trial of the suspects.