Former chairperson of Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and opposition kingpin, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, has said former Executive Directive in charge of Supervision at Bank of Uganda, Justine Bagyenda should be charged with money laundering.
Addressing journalists last evening at Parliament, the Budadiri West legislator said despite her status as the in charge of Supervision, Bagyenda could have aided money laundering given that the fact that she has lot of money in her accounts which she cannot legally explain how she earned it.
“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. That lady Bagyenda has been the head of Anti-Money Laundering committee and the law we passed, stated that whoever participates in anti-money laundering has to face prison for 20 years and that is why Bagyenda should have been in Luzira and the law accepts that the money she stole, should be returned”
Mafabi has also said it was wrong for those banks that dealt with Bagyenda and in whose accounts she was keeping the money to dismiss or even open criminal cases against their employees whom they accuse of leaking the account details of Bagyenda saying they are protected by the law.
“Whistleblower’s Act says the whistleblower has all the security of the state and of the organization where that person works but if they have been dismissed, we are going to ask BoU to employ them and if they get any other problem, we will make sure police protects them. That is why even President Yoweri Museveni should come out on this issue apart from if he wants her”
Bagyenda has been on the board of Financial Intelligence Authority which is overseeing anti-money laundering law.
BoU is expected at Parliament this morning to face Committee on Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).
According to leaked documents, Bagyenda is said to have several houses and plots of land in posh suburbs of Kampala and fat accounts in several banks.
URA has released a non-compliance report that indicates that her tax accountabilities could be Shs7 billion.
In a series of stories detailing the depths of Ms Bagyenda’s bank accounts she has with the bank, including one about how she has a whopping Shs20b sitting on two different accounts.
These stories have prompted Diamond Trust Bank and Barclays to investigate the source of leaked accounts, and for DTB, the investigation, reportedly led them to one of their staff who, the Bank leadership claims, was ‘compromised’ and actively participated in leaking account details of their client while Barclays in press released says internal disciplinary measures are being undertaken.
Bagyenda, whose contract at BoU was supposed to end June 2018, went on annual leave on January 22, but in a reshuffle announced by BoU governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, she was retired. In her place Prof. Mutebile appointed Dr Tumubweine Twinemanzi the new Director in charge of Supervision.
