The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has informed the Anti-Corruption Court that investigations into the alleged fraud involving sh60 billion from the Bank of Uganda (BoU) are still ongoing.
On Monday, Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka told Chief Magistrate Rachael Nakyazze that police are continuing with inquiries into the case, in which nine people are accused of orchestrating a massive financial loss through manipulation of payment systems at the Ministry of Finance and BoU.
The suspects, who were charged in connection with fraudulent transactions uncovered in late 2024, are all out on bail.
They include Lawrence Ssemakula, the Accountant General in the Ministry of Finance, and Jennifer Muhuruzi, the Acting Director of Treasury Services and Asset Management. Others charged are Paul Nkalubo Lumala, an IT Systems Officer; Deborah Dorothy Kusiima, a Senior Accountant in the Treasury Services Department; Judith Ashaba, an accountant; and Bettina Nayebare, a research assistant.
They are jointly charged with Mark Kasiiku, an IT Systems Officer; Tonny Yawe, a Senior IT Officer; and Pedison Twesigomwe, the Assistant Commissioner for Accounts in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
The case came up for mention to allow the prosecution to update the court on the progress of investigations before it is formally committed to the High Court, which has jurisdiction to try such cases. The magistrate adjourned the matter to August 20, 2025, after Birivumbuka assured the court that efforts are underway to conclude the investigations.
According to the prosecution, Ssemakula and Muhuruzi, both officials in the Ministry of Finance, failed to put in place adequate safeguards to protect public funds, resulting in a loss of 652,588.20 US dollars to the government.
It is alleged that Tonny Yawe manipulated payment instruction files originally issued by the International Development Association (IDA) in Washington. These files, which were meant for legitimate recipients, were fraudulently altered to redirect the funds to Road-Way Company Ltd, a Polish firm, under the pretext that the payment was for recycling plant systems and machinery.
Pedison Twesigomwe is accused of aiding the fraudulent transactions to illicitly enrich Road-Way Company and its collaborators. The accused are facing eleven charges, including corruption, causing financial loss, electronic fraud, and money laundering.
Investigations by police indicate that the funds vanished from BoU accounts in September 2024 and were traced to foreign bank accounts in the United Kingdom and in Asian countries, including Japan. Initially, the theft was suspected to be a result of hacking. However, the ICT division of the Criminal Investigations Directorate later determined that the heist was not cyber-related but a carefully planned internal fraud. Following this discovery, President Yoweri Museveni instructed the Defence Intelligence and Security (formerly the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence) to join the probe.
By the end of 2024, at least 21 officials from BoU, the Ministry of Finance, and the Office of the Accountant General had been interrogated. Their electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops, were confiscated and subjected to forensic examination.
Uganda Radio Network has learned through various sources that over half of the stolen funds were recovered after cooperation with banks in the United Kingdom.
However, the portion of the money that was transferred to Asia has not been recovered. Investigators also suspect that the money wired to Asia may have been withdrawn and brought back into Uganda either in cash or through goods purchased for local beneficiaries.
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