EXPOSED! Ex-UPPC officials on run over alleged fraud revealed

On Monday 13, the Anti-corruption court charged five Ex-Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) staff for alleged fraud.

These are Prof. Wasswa Tom Davis, former Managing Director, Arstraco Kasekende Mujjuzi, former Finance Manager, Robert Kigonya, former Sales Executive Manager, John Baptist Ahimbisibwe, Accountant, and Catherine Ayebare, Assistant Accountant.

They have been charged with seven counts related to causing financial loss to a tune of about sh2.2bn and conspiracy to commit fraud.

The suspects are eight in total, according to police, but three are reportedly on the run and we unmask them today.

VICTORIA NAMULONDO

She is a former Sales and Marketing Manager at UPPC.

She is suspected to have fled the country.

She was caught red handed with shs600 million in her office cabin at UPPC.

This money was part of the shs 2.2bn scam which police have been investigating. Apart from causing financial loss and conspiracy to commit fraud she has also been charged with ‘dealing with suspect property’.

MAYENGO CHRISTINE

She is a former manager of Finance and Accounting at UPPC. She has also been charged with causing financial loss and conspiracy to commit fraud. It should be noted that this is the sister of former Presidency minister Esther Mbayo.

Mbayo allegedly used her position to secure a job for her at UPPC.

According to a whistle blower’s report, in March 2021, the position of the Finance & Accounting Manager at UPPC was declared vacant after the expulsion of the former occupant.

As a result, an advert was placed in the Newspapers to fill the position and this was to run for exactly two weeks.

The Human Resource manager drafted the job advert and included the job requirements of the position of Finance & Accounting Manager e.g. Masters Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, CPA, ACCA and working experience of 8 years of which 3 at a senior level.

Curiously UPPC bosses allegedly changed the job requirements and omitted the requirement of a Masters Degree and Bachelor’s degree to reportedly favor this Mbayo’s alleged biological sister.

The advert was run on UPPC website and New Vision classified and the applications were received most of whom appeared to possess the required qualifications.

Reports indicate that much as the job requirements were compromised, Mbayo’s sister who went on to scoop the job was not shortlisted at preliminary level.

A directive from the Board came through to reportedly have her shortlisted and it also instructed that UPPC did not have to engage any external consultant for this recruitment.

That whereas the same particular candidate (Mbayo’s sister) emerged as the second best in interviews, she was reportedly declared as the best candidate despite dropping the capable ones.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) came out to confirm this recruitment irregularity to police when investigations started.

These details are contained in a letter dated 27th September, 2021 authored by Dr.John Geoffrey Mbabazi, secretary PSC and seen by this newspaper.

PSC says Mayengo lacked a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, Accounting, and Finance or any equivalent qualifications obtained from a recognized institution. She also lacked the required 8 years of working experience of which 3 at a senior level.

“In the view of the above, PSC members sitting on Friday 17th September, 2021 decided that the Director CID be guided that Christine Mayengo did not meet all the requirements for the post of Finance and Accounting manager, according to the job specifications at the time of appointment,” the letter concludes.

MOREEN NYAKATO

She is a former Ag. Corporation Secretary and Legal Officer, UPPC. She has also been charged with causing financial loss and conspiracy to commit fraud.

DR.PATRICK IBEMBE FATE

Though he did not appear on the charge sheet, it goes without mention that police are still looking for him to record a statement in regard to the UPPC mess. Reports indicate that he is hiding in Kenya.

He is a former UPPC Board Member in charge of the Finance, Investment & Marketing Committee.

He also doubled as the Board Chairman for Uganda Security Printing Company Limited (USPC) which was formulated as a joint venture between the government of Uganda and a Germany Consortium Veridos meant to revamp UPPC.

Investigators want Ibembe to explain some of the suspicious UPPC transactions made during his time.

For instance in some of the financial reports, he reportedly indicated that some of the monies were requested and paid to facilitate some politicians which they have since denied.

In his accountability reports, Ibembe indicated that part of the money, according to investigators, was reportedly used to support Girl Child drives and Campaigns synonymous with former Speaker of Parliament Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga and now 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs.

Other monies were indicated to have been reportedly channeled to former presidency minister Esther Mbayo to reportedly facilitate her Luuka Woman Mp bid only to be sent to political Taiwan club.

His accountability reports further showed that Haji Yunus Kakande, a Secretary in the Office of the President also reportedly got facilitation for work done for UPPC.

Other monies reportedly facilitated the then Board Chairperson—Kitamuweesi Musubire during the election period (whatever that means) and some to Ministry of Justice officials.

However, the officials being mentioned have denied the allegations, and investigators now want Ibembe to explain what he used that money for, and why he had to frame others; or else he coughs it.

Ibembe is also accused of being among the Board Members who allegedly took part in the changing of the Sales and Marketing Policy which saw hefty commissions being paid out.

Also as per the UPPC Board Policy, Board members are not in any way commissionable, salary earners or neither is the Corporation in charge of their medical insurance but are paid a monthly retainer as per their appointment letters.

However, this was not the case for the UPPC Board. A case in point was in June 2021, when Ibembe was diagnosed with Covid-19 and hospitalized in Nairobi hospital. He reportedly requested UPPC to meet his hospital bill of sh10m which was against the Corporation’s policy.

Ibembe is also accused of receiving sh2m in allowances via his mobile phone (+2567764**747) mostly on Fridays in the guise of Board facilitation.

DEAR READER, DO YOU HAVE A HOT STORY YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PUBLISH…

FRAUD IN BANKS, CHEATERS, DIVORCE FILES, SEX NETWORKS, SEX FOR MARKS, HARASSMENT OF ALL NATURE AT OFFICE BY YOUR BOSS, CHILD NEGLECT, WETLAND OCCUPATION, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, VIDEOS, IMPUNITY or CORRUPTION (in government agencies/ MDA’s, NGOs, Ministries, Private sector), FIGHTS IN OFFICES, JOB WARS/ WITCH HUNT, URA TAX FRAUD/NON-COMPLIANCE, CHEATING MONEY LENDERS, BUSINESS WRANGLES, SUBSTANDARD PRODUCTS, GOLD SCAMS, NSSF REMITTANCES NON COMPLIANCE, LAND ISSUES, INTERNAL AUDIT REPORTS EXPOSES, POLITICAL WRANGLES…ETAL.

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