The level at which Bank of Uganda is being defrauded is becoming unbearable! This has since forced many Uganda to wonder if one of the qualifications the Bank asks for before hiring staff is “Money stealing tactics”.
Yesterday, security operatives arrested three Bank of Uganda (BoU) staff who were smuggling out currency from Mbale Bank of Uganda Currency Center.
The money in question was meant to be destroyed but these individuals plotted to smuggle the money out of the bank to distribute it amongst themselves later.
Security operatives from Police, Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Military made it rain on their party when an internal informant tipped them off and they swiftly stormed the currency center.
Security said that it had become a habit for money which is supposed to be destroyed to be smuggled out of the bank for top BoU officials to share amongst themselves.
The most common technique these individuals use is to pack currency notes in rubbish sacks and disguise it as rubbish to fool security.
On occasions where security asks them to disclose the contents of the sacks, they say that it is luggage for top bosses and that they should back off.
This is just another of the very many fraud moves by BoU staff that keep getting intercepted by security officials, the most recent being the Shs90 billion saga in June that is still being investigated.
Meantime, The Anti-Corruption Court Grade One Magistrate, Abert Asiimwe has directed the prosecution to return the phones belonging to Bank of Uganda officials charged with abuse of office.
They are; Francis Kakeeto, the Assistant Director Mbale Currency Centre, Fred Wanyama Vito the Verification Officer and Charles Malinga the Director Currency Bank of Uganda.
Their lawyers led by Samuel Ejoku Oonyu told court that when his clients were arrested, their phones were confiscated by a police officer, Bernard Ochaya attached to State House Anti-Corruption Unit.
Ejoku told court that the charges against the suspects have nothing to do with their handsets and that the police could have taken phone print outs and later return the phones.
However, the State Prosecutor Steven Ariong told court that information from the police indicates that investigations are incomplete and the phones can’t be returned to the owners. Prosecution was also asked to expedite the investigations arguing that this is a public interest case which requires speedy hearing.
According to prosecution, the officials on April, 26th, 2019 between France, Belgium and Entebbe International Airport allowed the inclusion of unauthorized cargo on a plane chartered by BoU.
It is also alleged that the officials on the same date corruptly neglected to perform their duty when they failed to refute or report the inclusion of unauthorized cargo on the plane. The suspects, however, pleaded not guilty and have since been out on bail.
The Auditor-General has since instituted a team to conduct special investigations on these matters and is yet to come up with a report.
The case was adjourned to October, 10th.
