UBC World Cup deal: CID submits documents for analysis

Jul 17, 2017

The aim of submitting the documents to forensic analysts, is to discover and analyse patterns of fraudulent activities

Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) has submitted Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) documents including receipts, hand written internal memos' and signatures for forensic analysis.  

Several top UBC managers among them; the then managing director, Paul Kihika, head of internal audit Walter Osinde and the former marketing manager, Vincent Rupiha are being investigated over the botched sh3.6b World Cup deal. 

Other accused bosses include Angelo Nkeza (engineering department), former finance manager Patrick Kateeba, sales executive Emmanuel Tumusiime, Cleophus Kizza and Edison Asiimwe. 

The eight former and current UBC workers were summoned by CID last month and recorded statements, over a suspicious commission earned off the deal that the national broadcaster entered with Airtel, a telecom company. 

CID detective's privy to the probe told New Vision yesterday that the aim of submitting the documents to forensic analysts, is to discover and analyse patterns of fraudulent activities. 

According to documents submitted to CID, Airtel in 2014 signed a deal with UBC for live broadcasts of the 2014 FIFA World Cup matches in Brazil and was paid to the national broadcaster, though in instalments. 

The bosses are said to have got a total of sh386m as commission, irregularly. 

CID spokesperson Vincent Ssekate said the UBC bosses are facing charges, which include abuse of office, embezzlement, false accounting, causing financial loss and conspiracy to commit a felony. 

Ssekate said that all suspects were summoned to appear at the CID headquarters in Kibuli and give their side of the story. 

New Vison has learnt that detectives are probing reports that the senior managers secured the deal, but fronted Asiimwe to sign it as a front. 

This was because senior managers could not pick the money since UBC staff members were not entitled to a commission. However, Asiimwe had reportedly declined to pick the money. 

Ssekate revealed that CID was investigating clues indicating that the deal was out-sourced by Tumusiime and that he was paid a commission. 

Without revealing how much Tumusiime was paid as a commission, Ssekate said: "It is disturbing because Tumusiime was an employee and the UBC payroll. He was not entitled to a commission." 

So far, detectives have heard that UBC bosses allegedly inflated the cost of the World Cup sponsorship deal and gave some Airtel officials kick-backs with an aim of earning a commission. 

Sources revealed that during interrogation, Nkeza told detectives that he raised the red flag about the deal and called for its review to save UBC from making losses.

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