News

Police arrests more over Equity Bank Fraud

KAMPALA-Police detectives from Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala, last evening arrested two former employees of Airtel Uganda; Godfrey Mukwaya and Robert Mugumya in relation to alleged fraud that led to loss of billions of shillings in unsecured loans from Equity bank.

One of the suspect, Mugumya Robert.

Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the arrest of the two whom he says that are currently under detention at CPS pending further investigations in the matter.

“I can confirm that the two men are in our custody but I will not give you details because I do not want to jeopardize the investigations” remarked Onyango

He added that the suspects have been slapped with charges of causing financial loss to the bank.

Its also alleged that Mukwaya, a former sales manager at Airtel Uganda used different people to open up bank accounts through which the bank was defrauded of more than Shs10bn.

That also Mugumya is linked to 179 fictitious companies that were created to defraud Equity bank using different persons to obtain more than Shs35 billion.

The arrest of Mugumya and Mukwaya has brought the number of people arrested over fraud in connection with acquisition of unsecured loans by unqualified persons in Equity Bank to seven.

Last month, (March 20, 2024) a group of five people including employees of Equity Bank in Uganda were remanded over accusations of money laundering in regard to disbursement of Shs62 billions of unsecured loans to unqualified persons.

The group was arraigned before the Anticorruption Magistrates Court on charges of obtaining credit by false pretense, money laundering and conspiracy to defraud.

Those on remand include the head of Agency Banking at Equity Bank Julius Musiime, Erina Nabisubi a relationship manager for telecom, Fred Semwogerere (Banker), Tumuhimbise Crescent Tibarwesereka (relationship officer and Wycliff Asiimwe a distribution and marketing consultant with a microfinance facility.

Prosecution alleges that between the year 2021 and 2024 at Equity Bank in Kampala City, Nabisubi being a person employed as a relationship manager in charge of Telecom incurred a debt of Shs6.55 billion from Equity bank falsely representing that the loans were being applied for by Najjemba Gladys who she fronted as having fulfilled the bank requirements for accessing the loans whereas not.

The state contends that Nabisubi incurred a debt of Shs300 million from Equity Bank falsely representing that the loans were being applied for by Nagawa Latiffa who she fronted as having fulfilled the bank requirement for accessing the loans whereas not.

It is alleged that between 2021 and 2024 at Equity Bank headquarters situate at Church House in Kampala, Nabisubi intentionally impeded the establishment of the true ownership of Shs6.5 billion which she fraudulently obtained from Equity Bank as loan through account number 1032100370335 in the name of Najjemba Gladys purporting that the said funds were applied for by Najjemba Gladys as a loan whereas not knowing that the said funds were a proceed of crime.

The state further alleges that Musiime intentionally concealed the true ownership of Shs18 million which he received as gratification from Mutuuza Stella for having fraudulently processed a loan of Shs700 million from Equity Bank by requiring her to deposit the said gratification on the account number 1013101211316 in the name of Gilbert Rwaiheru Kiiza knowing that the said deposits were a proceed of crime.

Comments

To Top