Vocal Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi wants former Bank of Uganda Executive Director (Supervision) Justine Bagyenda behind bars in Luzira over money laundering.
Nandala who is the former head of Parliament’s Public Accounts committee says it is ironic that Bagyenda who has been heading the Anti-Money Laundering committee was involved in acts akin to money laundering.
Bagyenda’s troubles stem from her bank account details leaking, indicating she had stashed away over Shs19 billion in different banks, smartly moving the money from one account to another in transactions that have been construed as money laundering. It appears her interest was in concealing the wealth that is not commensurate with her earnings.
“That lady Bagyenda has been the head of Anti-Money Laundering committee and the law we passed, stated that whoever participates in money laundering has to be imprisoned for 20 years. That is why Bagyenda should have been in Luzira by now, and the law stipulates that the money she stole should be returned,” FDC firebrand Nandala said at Parliament on Monday afternoon.
Bagyenda held a dollar and shilling account in Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), a shillings account in Barclays Bank and details from her account transactions indicated she was regularly remitting large sums of money to a one Kenny Muwonge in Centenary Bank. Nandala says these banks should also face the law.
“We are going to carryout investigations and we are going to deal with those banks because they have been doing illegal things with Bagyenda. Actually those banks should be closed because they have been involved in money laundering,” he said.
DTB and Barclays have since issued apologies to Bagyenda over her account details leaking and they say the employees who leaked the accounts are going to face punitive actions. However, Nandala feels these employees are whistle blowers and they should be protected.
“The whistle blower act states that a whistle blower is entitled to all the security of the state and of the organisation where he is employed. If they have been sacked, we are going to ask Bank of Uganda to employ them. We are going to ensure the police protects them and President Museveni should also come out to protect them, unless he loves thieves like Bagyenda,” Nandala said.
Nandala is an accountant and lawyer by profession.