Kawempe Police Arrest Man for Giving out ‘Free’ Money

By Fred Kiva

Police in Kawempe have arrested a 36-year old man for alleged money laundering, after he mobilized people for ‘free’ money to be deposited onto their bank accounts.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango identifies the suspect as Umaru Mukiibi. Mukiibi was nabbed on Thursday when he transported five people in a taxi from Wakiso to go and withdraw money deposited onto their accounts at Kawempe Centenary Bank Branch.

According to Onyango, Mukiibi mobilized the five unnamed persons to open up bank accounts, promising that each would be entitled to Shs200, 000 part of the deposit they would find on their respective accounts.

“He told them when the money is deposited onto their accounts each would be entitled to Shs200, 000 even if the deposit is 10million. He didn’t disclose to them the source of the money,” Onyango said in a brief press statement.

He added, “So today (Thursday) he hired a taxi from Wakiso to Kawempe and told the group to go and start withdrawing the money. We were tipped and we went and arrested them.” Onyango explained that Mukiibi is now detained at Kawempe police station on charges of money laundering, while the other five were released after recording statements.

Meanwhile in their police statements, the five denied knowledge of the source of the money they were going to withdraw. “We released them on police bond and remained with Mukiibi. We have tasked him to explain to us the source of the money,” Onyango maintained.

It was however not immediately clear how much money was on the bank accounts. Onyango says however, police are working with the bank to try to ascertain details.