BoU sh60b heist: Ssemakula returns to court Monday

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Nine finance ministry officials, including the interdicted Accountant General Lawrence Ssemakula, who are battling corruption charges in connection with the alleged shillings 60 billion Bank of Uganda (BoU) heist, return to court on Monday, July 13.

Ssemakula, 58, also faces charges of causing financial loss, money laundering and electronic fraud together with Jennifer Muhuruzi, 55, (commissioner treasury services); Pedson Twesigomwe, 45, (assistant commissioner accounts); Tony Yawe,46, (senior IT officer), and Paul Nkalubo Lumala, 40, (IT systems officer); and Deborah Dorothy Kusiima, 33, (senior accountant).

Others are Judith Ashaba, 43, (accountant), Bettina Nayebare, 31, (research assistant accountant), and Mark Kasiiku, 33, (IT specialist).

Semakula, Muhuruzi, Twesigomwe, Lumala, Kusiima and Ashaba are currently out on bail, while other accused persons are on remand at Luzira Prison.

In the last session, Chief State Attorney from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) Richard Birivumbuka informed the court that investigations into the matter are incomplete.

Allegations

Prosecution alleges that Ssemakula and Muhuruzi between January and October 2024, at the finance ministry at Plot 2-8, Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road, in Kampala City, neglected to put in place effective systems to safeguard public funds, which resulted into a financial loss of $6,525,852 (about sh23.9b), to the Government.

It is purported that Twesigomwe, Kusiima and Lumala between September 9 and 11, 2024, at the finance ministry headquarters in Kampala, participated as accomplices, in the commission of the offence of corruption, when they allegedly concealed the irregular payment of $6,134,137 (sh22.5b) to an unauthorised payee in the name of Roadway Company Limited.

Yawe is accused of irregularly altering the payment instructions for sh22.5b that was supposed to be paid to the International Development Association for principal and interest by substituting the intended payee with Roadway Company Limited, purporting to be payment for recycling plant and machinery, for the purposes of illicitly obtaining benefits for the said company.

He allegedly committed the offence between September 9 and 11, 2024, at the finance ministry headquarters offices in Kampala.

Prosecution also alleges that between September 20, and October 1, 2024, at the finance ministry offices in Kampala, Kasiiku, manipulated the payment instruction files in respect of $391,720, (sh1,4b), which was supposed to be paid to International Development Association to MJS International London, a company that was not entitled to the said payment.

Prosecution alleges that Yawe in January 2024 at the finance ministry headquarters in Kampala, by means of deception and with intention of securing an unlawful gain, deliberately manipulated the payment instruction files of the integrated financial management system by altering the payment details from International Development Association Washington, who was the intended payee, $6,674,320 (sh24.5b) to an unintended payee in the name of International Development Association Sielska, Poznan, Poland.

According to the prosecution, Yawe abused the authority of his office by allegedly committing an arbitrary act, which is prejudicial to the interests of his employer (Government).

On the other hand, Kasiiku is accused of introducing executable-like scripts on the Oracle programme on the integrated financial management system that resulted in unauthorised payment of $8,596,824 (sh31.5b) to MJS International London, between September 23, 2024, and September 27, 2024.

Yawe, Twesigomwe, Kusiima, Nayebare, Lumala and Kasiiku were also charged with money laundering, contrary to section 3 (b)., 116 and 136 (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. The offence elicits a 15-year jail term or a fine not exceeding sh2b, on conviction.