Detective pins former Equity Bank operations manager over fraud

Former Equity bank operations manager accused of embezzling sh4.6b from the bank paid his friend sh876m, court heard on Thursday.

A police detective  Godfrey Emojong  , attached to Director of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (CIID) economic  crime, told the  Anti- Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala that  a lobbyist  Abubaker  Kalungi  admitted  during  interrogations  that  former Equity bank manager, David Serwamba  paid him sh876m as an  appreciation  for  keeping  his money .

Testifying as prosecution witness  number eighteenth, Emojong said  Kalungi also gave to  his  friend  Shafik  Mubarak sh101.1m ,and they also spent 168.5m  in  Dubai on merry making  in addition to sh5m which Kalungi said he spent on his birth day.

"Kalungi also gave me accountability on how he spent the money. He said he bought  land in Buziga at sh100m, he purchased a Mercedes Benz number UAT375 Y ML 500, and he went with Shafik Mubarak to Dubai to enjoy some of the money," Emojong said.

Emojong told court that he also established during investigations that Serwamba gave his girl Christine Birungi an employee of Centenary bank sh100m.

 "I interviewed Christine and established that she received sh100m and part of it she used for buying land valued at sh21m at Kakiri, in Wakiso district. My lord I believe part of the money was used for clearing taxes for a vehicle registration number UAW 464X" Emojong said

Prosecution led by  state attorneys  Tom Walugembe and Carol Tabaro from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions  tendered in  court  for identification  of three  vehicles allegedly acquired  by some of the accused  shortly after the fraud took place at the bank in March, 2016.

David Serwamba, Reagan Okoth, and Moses Kavuma are jointly charged with Abubaker Kalungi, Mubarak Shafik, a businessman, Mathew Keeya, a driver.

Others accused persons are: Isaac Serwamba, a businessman, Joseph Mugisha, a web designer, Kenneth Matovu businessman and Bernard Lubega businessman. They are also charged with money laundering and theft.

Under the Anti- money laundering act any person convicted under the act, is liable to 15 years upon conviction. While the offence of embezzlement under the Anti- Corruption carries a maximum sentence of 14 years on conviction.

Prosecution alleges that between March 28 and May 19, 2015, while in Kampala district the accused converted, transferred, transported and concealed sh4.6b with the intention of disguising its illicit origin, yet it was stolen from Equity bank Oasis branch. 

Former Equity bank operations manager accused of embezzling sh4.6b from the bank paid his friend sh876m, court heard on Thursday.

 A police detective  Godfrey Emojong  , attached to Director of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (CIID) economic  crime, told the  Anti- Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala that  a lobbyist  Abubaker  Kalungi  admitted  during  interrogations  that  former Equity bank manager, David Serwamba  paid him sh876m as an  appreciation  for  keeping  his money .

Testifying as prosecution witness  number eighteenth, Emojong said  Kalungi also gave to  his  friend  Shafik  Mubarak sh101.1m ,and they also spent 168.5m  in  Dubai on merry making  in addition to sh5m which Kalungi said he spent on his birth day.

"Kalungi also gave me accountability on how he spent the money. He said he bought  land in Buziga at sh100m, he purchased a Mercedes Benz number UAT375 Y ML 500, and he went with Shafik Mubarak to Dubai to enjoy some of the money," Emojong said.

Emojong told court that he also established during investigations that Serwamba gave his girl Christine Birungi an employee of Centenary bank sh100m.

 "I interviewed Christine and established that she received sh100m and part of it she used for buying land valued at sh21m at Kakiri, in Wakiso district. My lord I believe part of the money was used for clearing taxes for a vehicle registration number UAW 464X" Emojong said

Prosecution led by  state attorneys  Tom Walugembe and Carol Tabaro from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions  tendered in  court  for identification  of three  vehicles allegedly acquired  by some of the accused  shortly after the fraud took place at the bank in March, 2016.

David Serwamba, Reagan Okoth, and Moses Kavuma are jointly charged with Abubaker Kalungi, Mubarak Shafik, a businessman, Mathew Keeya, a driver.

Others accused persons are: Isaac Serwamba, a businessman, Joseph Mugisha, a web designer, Kenneth Matovu businessman and Bernard Lubega businessman. They are also charged with money laundering and theft.

Under the Anti- money laundering act any person convicted under the act, is liable to 15 years upon conviction. While the offence of embezzlement under the Anti- Corruption carries a maximum sentence of 14 years on conviction.

Prosecution alleges that between March 28 and May 19, 2015, while in Kampala district the accused converted, transferred, transported and concealed sh4.6b with the intention of disguising its illicit origin, yet it was stolen from Equity bank Oasis branch.