MTN fraud suspects pinned over sh3.1b theft
Jul 08, 2014
MTN Telecommucation Company has lost billions of shillings in fraudulent mobile money transactions, court heard yesterday.
By Edward Anyoli
MTN Telecommucation Company has lost billions of shillings in fraudulent mobile money transactions, court heard yesterday.
Testifying against former employees of MTN, John Semakula, a digital forensic examiner told court that he examined , a Dell computer and external Laci hard drive suspected to have been used in fraudulent mobile money transactions andestablished that the computer was used to carry out illegal transactions.
Semakula told the Anti- Corruption court presided over by Justice Paul Mugamba that some of money was authorised to Hari telecom and Phone accessory, Rukungiri district employees, Tayira Enterprise Rubaga, Wesley Investment Limited.
The former MTN employees accused are: Joseph Joshua Magombe MTN mobile money agent, Daniel Ssegujja sales representative, Irene Kauma sales executive for Essy mobile money, Jerom Oketcho, Jackchin retention executive with MTN and Tamasha Namirembe a trainee with MTN.
They were jointly charged with a self- employed businessman Edrisa Sserunkuma of Kawempe a city suburb , Henry Matovu a self – employed businessman of Seguku, Joshua Kalaba also a businessman and Peter Ayebale a cleaner.
Semakula said his findings were that the transactions were authorised from MTN computers illegally.
Prosecution led by State Attorneys, Marion Acio and Paul Lakidi alleged that the nine suspects on January25, 2013 at MTN offices on Yusuf Lule road in Kampala stole sh3.150, 000,000 the property of MTN Uganda.
It also alleged that the suspects in the month of January and others still at large within Kampala conspired to commit a felony of theft.
They denied the charges.
The five employees allegedly hacked into MTN computer and wired over sh3b to accounts of seven agents registered with the telecom across Kampala according to prosecution.
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