KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) on Wednesday recovered Shillings 600milllion believed to have been siphoned from the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC). The money is part of the Shillings 3 billion embezzled from the government-owned corporation through a fictitious Commission agent.
CID Spokesperson Charles Twine says that the recovered money was destined for another accomplice in crime.
“The money, which was destined for another accomplice in the crime was part of the Shillings 3 Billion loot that had passed through an account of a fictitious Commission agent,” Twine said on Wednesday without divulging into further details.
The recovery of the money follows the arrest of Prof. Tom Davis Wasswa, the Managing Director of UPPC last week for alleged embezzlement of Shillings 3 billion.
“We have arrested Prof. Wasswa Tom Davis, the Managing Director Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation-UPPC for alleged embezzlement of UGX 3 billion of Corporation’s money, the syndicate noticed and other culprits to be pursued,” Twine said.
Prof. Wasswa’s arrest came a day after the Presidency Minister, Milly Babalanda Babirye interdicted him together with 8 UPPC board members on August 17th, 2021. Babalanda explained that she decided to interdict Wasswa and the top UPPC leadership for alleged involvement in corruption.
“I have officially interdicted the managing director Prof. Tom Davis Wasswa, Vincent Kityamuweesi Musubire, UPPC board chairperson, company secretary Moreen Nyakato, and internal auditor Andrew Senaburya, to pave way for investigations into allegations of corruption and other irregularities. In the meantime, Mr. James Tweheyo has been appointed as caretaker managing director,” Babalanda tweeted shortly after firing the board.
She instructed CID to investigate the implicated officials and prosecute where they find sufficient evidence pinning them. Subsequently, on the same day, Tawu Bumali, the CID officer at Kibuli summoned the implicated board members including Thomas Matende, Edgar Agaba, Florence Otto, John Lorot, Godfrey Bakibinga and Aisha Sanyu Kakaire to appear before police investigators.
“The purpose of this letter is to invite you and others listed below to CID headquarters before the office of the acting commissioner for Economic Crimes and Financial Intelligence on August 23 at 10:00 am for interviewing and statement recording,” the summons read.
Trouble in UPPC reportedly started in January this year after the board accused Aristaco Kasekende Mujuzi, the then Finance and Administration manager of professional negligence, conflict of interest and causing financial loss to the corporation and later termination of his contract.
Sources at UPPC say Kasekende warned he would fight back. UPPC is a public corporation established by the UPPC Act 1992 cap.30, as the leading printer mandated to provide printing and publishing services to government institutions.
The corporation prints and publishes all government legislation, the Uganda Gazette, and materials for public and private sectors organizations.
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