A former Equity Bank credit officer has been convicted and sentenced to one year in prison for his role in a fraudulent scheme that led to the loss of more than Shs52 million from a customer’s account.
The Anti-Corruption Court on Monday convicted Ijuka Marvin, a Credit Officer at Equity Bank, after finding him guilty of causing financial loss through unauthorized transactions that siphoned funds from a customer’s account.
His Worship Paul Mujuni sentenced Ijuka to 12 months’ imprisonment following the conclusion of a prosecution led by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
According to court records, between June and October 2019, Ijuka and his co-accused, Caroline Kamwebaze, abused their positions at the bank to facilitate irregular transfers from several customer accounts, including that of Kobusingye Mercy, the proprietor of Victory Junior Primary and Nursery School.
The fraudulent transactions resulted in the loss of Shs52.75 million from Kobusingye’s account.
Investigations revealed that the duo used internal journal vouchers documents designed to facilitate transfers between accounts to move funds to an account belonging to Tumwiine Michael. Prosecutors told court that the transfers were processed under the false pretense that they had been authorized by the account holder.
The fraud came to light after Kobusingye noticed suspicious activity on her account, including a series of unauthorized debits, and reported the matter to Equity Bank management.
Subsequent internal audits and investigations established that Ijuka and Kamwebaze had processed multiple transfers without obtaining the necessary customer authorization, prompting the involvement of law enforcement agencies.
Police later arrested the two bank officials, and the DPP charged them with causing financial loss.
Court records indicate that Kamwebaze opted for a plea bargain arrangement at the start of the trial, admitted her role in the offence and was convicted accordingly.
Ijuka, however, chose to contest the charges and underwent a full trial. During the defence stage of the proceedings, he absconded from court in February 2026, prompting the trial magistrate to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Despite efforts to trace him, Ijuka remained at large, forcing the court to proceed in his absence.
The Anti-Corruption Court subsequently ruled that his continued absence had made it impracticable for the proceedings to continue with his participation and scheduled the matter for judgment.
Delivering the verdict on June 16, 2026, the court convicted Ijuka in absentia and sentenced him to 12 months in prison.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court barred him from holding public office for 10 years in accordance with the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act.
The Office of the DPP welcomed the conviction, describing it as a significant milestone in the fight against corruption and financial crime.
Prosecutors emphasized that fleeing from justice does not shield offenders from accountability, noting that Ijuka remains the subject of an active arrest warrant and will be required to serve his sentence once apprehended.
“The conviction and sentence send a clear message that individuals cannot evade responsibility for criminal conduct by avoiding the judicial process,” the DPP said in a statement.
The prosecution further pledged to continue working closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure the fugitive convict is arrested and brought before court to serve his sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Abigail Agaba, Chief State Attorney in the Anti-Corruption Department of the Office of the DPP.
The conviction adds to a list of successful prosecutions targeting fraud and corruption within financial institutions, as authorities tighten efforts to safeguard public confidence in Uganda’s banking sector and hold accountable officials who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.
