The Special Investigations Division in coordination with the Fraud Department at Stanbic Bank, Uganda, have arrested nine suspects after they gained unauthorised access to a client’s account, and made unauthorized transfers of funds, worth $1.8 million (about Shs6.6 billion), into other bank accounts, established solely for the purpose of receiving the stolen funds.
According to the police, at the direction of the branch managers, the funds were withdrawn and stolen, using forged documents of a Kenyan passport number AK 0849025 and forged inter-account transfer forms, all in the names of Mohamed Abdul Hakim Hussein, one of the company directors and a signatory to the account of Nile Energy.
The police says that the suspects in conspiracy with selected Stanbic Bank staff both at Garden City and Freedom City branches compromised the account of Nile Energy and effected transactions in Inter Account Transfers (IAT) and made withdraws using three accounts that included; Account Number 9030012835107 in the names of Dixon Kagurusi Ampumuza; Account Number 9030021572615 in the names of Petrom Limited and Account Number 9030018628871 in the names of Famane Investments Co. Ltd.
“At least seven cash withdrawals of USD 495,000, USD 287,000 USD 295,000, USD 90,000, USD 60,000, USD 295,000, and USD 495,000 were made by the suspects, purporting to be Mohamed Abdul Hakim Hussein, the Director of Nile Energy, while using forged documents,” said the police.
“It was also established that Petron Limited belongs to a one Oscar Kyabukasa Lutaaya and Hashur Rahman, as the Directors, while Famane Investments Co. Ltd. is owned by Oman Ghebreyesus, Fiona Dede Bwende, and Elijah Daniel Wanzu, as the Directors, at the Freedom City Branch and Garden City Branch,” the police added.
So far, 12 suspects have been arrested, out of whom nine were charged with causing financial loss and money laundering before the Anti-Corruption Division in Kololo.
These include; Tefera Okubalassie Robert, who was intercepted with a forged passport and funds transfer form in the bank, Ayusiga Moses, the Branch Manager of Stanbic Bank, Garden City Branch, who allegedly effected the two transfers of USD 287,000 and 295,000 from Nile Energy Account to Petrom Ltd in a fraudulent and illegal manner, Natukunda Brian, a former employee of Stanbic Bank, who introduced Kagurusi Dixon Ampumuza (on the run) to Moses Ayusiga, the 3 Directors of Famane Investments Co. Ltd, namely; Oman Ghebreyesus, Fiona Dede Bwende, Elijah Daniel Wanzu, in who company account number, money was received and Ssekito David, the Manager at Freedom City Branch.
Other charges of forgery and utterance of forged documents are being processed.