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KAMPALA - The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) is investigating how a group of Ugandan crooks defrauded a Turkish firm of fertiliser worth shillings two billion and vanished.

On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, SHACU together with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) officers recovered some of the fertilisers around container village in the city suburbs of Kampala.

Police investigations reveal that between May and September 2023, the alleged fraudsters led by Ronnie Mukasa, used a company known as Kureha Uganda Ltd, to dupe the Turkish company into sending 28 containers of fertilisers to Uganda. Each container contains 540 bags of fertilizers.

However, upon receipt of the goods, the alleged fraudsters cut communication and placed the fertilisers on the market for sale.

“SHACU together with CID are investigating a matter in which a Turkish company, Iskenderun Fertilisers, was defrauded over sh2.2b in fertiliser supply,” a statement from SHACU reads in part.

SHACU officials together with the leaders of the Container Village have called upon the traders to return the stolen goods, and also aid in the ongoing investigations.

“Our aim is to confiscate any remaining fake fertilisers and arrest those involved in the illegal trade,” SHACU officials said.

The investigations follow a complaint by the Turkish firm to SHACU.

The Turkish company told SHACU officials that they had been defrauded 28 containers of fertilisers worth $540,000 (about shillings two billion).