Cairo Bank official in pension scam released

By Eddie Ssejjoba

Police on Wednesday released on bond a Cairo International Bank official who was arrested with five others in the middle of investigations into a recent sh63b pension scam.

Muhammad Ahmed Tarik, the general manager in charge of operations at the bank was freed after spending a night in custody.

The six bank officials were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the missing sh63b that was meant for pension workers of the former East African Community.

Tarik spent his Wednesday at the CID headquarters in Kibuli.

While there, detectives quizzed him on how the bank released the money to alleged ghost beneficiaries using forged signatures.

The five other bank employees who were arrested together with him were however denied bond and were consequently detained as investigations into their role in the money scam continued.

They are Ishaka Ssentongo, the compliance officer; Rahmah Mugeere, supervisor in charge of customer care; Grace Beinomugisha, the clerk in charge of data; Ismail Kizito and Abbey Kaddu, the authorizing officer.

Meanwhile, the commissioner for secondary education, John-Mary Agaba who was to appear before CID officials at Kibuli failed to turn up.

Agaba is wanted for questioning over the alleged embezzlement of $180m (about sh455b).

 His lawyer, David Paul Abigaba was required to write a statement to explain why his client could not turn up.

According to a letter signed by the director of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence directorate, Egesa Oduli, the education commissioner was scheduled to appear at the CID headquarters on Wednesday at 10am.

The letter was written to the permanent secretary of ministry of education and sports on September 24.

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Ismail Kizito, Ishaka Ssentongo (C) and Abbey Kaddu, employees of Cairo International bank at the CID head office. PHOTO/Eddie ssejjoba


Under heat

From the letter, Agaba was asked to report with documents of accountability from schools where training was done under the first phase of the Universal Post Primary Education and Training.

Detectives also want him to avail the list of consultancy firms which were procured for training management committees under the UPPET/APL1-Phase1 and their contracts.

But the accused’s lawyer told the police that he was still in northern Uganda but it was not yet clear when he would be available for interrogation.

Agaba was required to avail the investigators with monitoring reports and accountability documents.

On July 20 2012, CID director Oduli wrote to the permanent secretary notifying him that police were investigating 18 cases of alleged corruption, embezzlement and abuse of office in the ministry.

He requested the permanent secretary to avail investigators with releases, monitoring reports and accountability for the 18 programs for the financial year 2002/2003 to 2010/20111.

The cases touch on programs including presidential pledges for the rehabilitation and building of primary schools, purchase of computers, solar equipment and science kits, school feeding program,  HIV/Aids books for northern Uganda and hardship allowances for primary teachers in hard-to reach areas.

The PS is required to avail police with the list of districts which benefited from the hardship allowances and their respective releases.

Other required documents touch on the procurement of Longman Dictionaries awarded to Kasozi, details of the releases for sh111m, which was awarded to Impact Associates, sanitation in primary schools, the girl-child program under TRACE from 2009 to date, among others.