The Accountant General, Lawrence Semakula, along with eight other senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, was arrested yesterday in connection with the alleged UGX 60 billion Bank of Uganda (BOU) heist.
The officials, including Jennifer Muhuruzi (commissioner), Paul Lumala (IT systems officer), Bettina Nayebare (accountant), Mubarak Nasamba (principal accountant), Tony Yawe (senior IT officer), Deborah Kusiima (senior accountant), Judith Ashaba (accountant), and Mark Kasuku (IT specialist), were taken into custody after hours of interrogation at the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kibuli, Kampala.
The arrests were executed by CID officers following an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of billions of shillings through fraudulent transactions.
According to Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma, the officials had been summoned earlier for questioning regarding the financial irregularities.
“We can confirm that the nine officers are now in our custody,” he stated. Semakula was detained at Kira Division Police Station in Wakiso District, while the others were taken to Nateete Police Station in Kampala, pending their court appearance.
Investigators had been closely monitoring the officials over the past two weeks, during which some had previously recorded statements and been released on bond.
However, new evidence linked them directly to the fraudulent transactions.
The forensic audit by the Auditor General revealed that certain ministry officials had manipulated the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) to alter payment details, redirecting large sums of money to unauthorized accounts.
The investigation found that IT officers Tony Yawe and Mark Kasuku played a key role in altering the payment details, replacing genuine payees with fraudulent entities.
On September 10, 2024, a legitimate transaction meant for settling a World Bank loan was intercepted, and the payee details were changed to Roadway Tokyo Japan.
This unauthorized transaction was processed and paid two days later. A similar scheme was executed on September 26, diverting UGX 32 billion meant for the African Development Bank to MJS International London.
Authorities intensified their probe after discovering that system controls designed to prevent such fraud had been deliberately bypassed.
Investigators found logs showing that Yawe had modified key financial files late at night, while Nasamba, the assistant commissioner of treasury services, had approved the forged transactions.
Despite security measures, the fraudulent payments were processed, and a portion of the funds remains unrecovered.
The CID confirmed that more ministry officials are under investigation, and additional arrests may follow.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary Ramathan Ggoobi assured the public that the ministry is fully cooperating with law enforcement and that all government services remain operational.
These arrests follow a directive from President Yoweri Museveni in December, ordering a thorough investigation into financial misconduct within the ministry.
The forensic audit report submitted to CID detailed systemic fraud that enabled the illegal transfer of funds, leading to the swift action taken against the suspects.
The detained officials are expected to be formally charged in court soon, facing allegations of abuse of office, embezzlement, causing financial loss, and money laundering.
