Following recent fraud at the Bank of Uganda (BoU), the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) has petitioned Japanese authorities through Interpol to obtain information on individuals who withdrew over Shs 20 billion from a fraudulent account in Japan.
The CID’s move follows the widely reported Shs 60 billion fraud that occurred at BoU last year.
According to BoU Governor Martin Ating-Ego, the stolen funds were originally intended for the World Bank and the African Development Fund but were misdirected in two major transactions:
September 12, 2024: $6,134,137.75 meant for the World Bank was instead sent to Roadway Co. Limited via MUFG Bank, Japan.
September 28, 2024: $8,596,824.26 intended for the African Development Fund was wrongly transferred to MJS International in London, UK.
By December 2024, BoU had recovered $8,205,133.84 from MJS International and credited it to the Consolidated Fund. Efforts are ongoing to retrieve the remaining $391,660.45.
The government has since launched an investigation, leading to the interrogation of BoU officials at CID headquarters and the subsequent arrest and charging of Accountant General Lawrence Semakula, along with seven other officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
Sources indicate that the $6,134,137.75 sent to Japan was quickly withdrawn and distributed among unknown individuals, whom the police are still working to identify.
