State House Anti-Corruption Unit Probes Top BoU Bosses for Printing Own Cash

By Fred Kiva

The State House Anti-Corruption Unit Head Lt Col Edith Nakalema says they are carrying out a joint investigation together with the Police on a matter pertaining to Bank of Uganda’s procurement and supply chain activities.

Lt Col Nakalema stormed Bank of Uganda on Friday morning and arrested some of the top directors, whom she says are being questioned, together with those of the Customs and Civil Aviation Authority.

“The investigation is being carried out following an invitation by the Governor of the Bank of Uganda and in close cooperation with the Governor’s office,” she said in a statement issued on Friday afternoon.

Although she didn’t give particulars of the investigation, the Bank Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile said in a different statement that he requested the investigation after a reported “anomaly in the inventory of the expected consignment.”

“On April 27, 2019, the Bank of Uganda (BOU) received a consignment. During the verification process, BOU staff reported an anomaly in the inventory of the expected consignment,” he said. “Therefore I requested the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of State House to investigate the matter. The ACU has started investigations and Bank of Uganda is fully co-operating with the process,” Professor Mutebile added, assuring the public of the Bank’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of its operations.

Reports have been making rounds on social media of how some of the Bank of Uganda top directors made illegal printing of money totaling to about Sh90billion from Germany.

This is yet another investigation at Bank of Uganda, which has for months now seen its officials questioned in a separate investigation by the Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) over illegal closure of commercial banks.