Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s Accountant General, Lawrence Semakula, and eight others have been arrested in connection with the mysterious disappearance of $17 million (UGX 60 billion) from the Bank of Uganda (BOU). The incident, which occurred in September 2024, has prompted a wide-ranging investigation.
The money was siphoned from BOU and found its way into foreign accounts, primarily in the United Kingdom and Asian countries like Japan. The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), in collaboration with the Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS), formerly the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), has been investigating various individuals from the Bank of Uganda, the Ministry of Finance, and the Accountant General’s office.
The investigation has now narrowed down to nine individuals who are accused of orchestrating a fraudulent payment under the guise of a contractor. These individuals allegedly instructed BOU to disburse the large sum to foreign accounts. The arrested individuals include Jennifer Muhurizi, Mubarak Nansamba, Paul Lumala, Mark Kasuku, Judith Asaba, Deborah Kusiima, Tonny Yawe, and Priscilla Nayebare.
Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kituuma Rusoke, confirmed the arrest of the nine suspects. However, it remains unclear exactly what roles each of the suspects played in the theft.
The money heist was initially believed to have been the work of hackers, but CID’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team later disproved that theory. The investigators revealed that the theft was actually the result of a fraudulent payment scheme, leading President Yoweri Museveni to direct DIS to join the investigation. By the end of 2024, 21 individuals from BOU, the Ministry of Finance, and the Accountant General’s office had been interrogated. Their electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops, were seized for further examination.
Sources indicated that Bank of Uganda was able to recover over half of the missing money through cooperation with UK banks, though they were unable to retrieve the funds that ended up in Asia. It is believed that the money transferred to Asian countries may have been withdrawn and secretly returned to Uganda, possibly as cash or goods. This theory will be tested in court, where evidence will be presented to confirm or refute these claims.
