Ugandan authorities have arrested nine officials from the Ministry of Finance over an alleged cyber attack that led to the theft of USH 62 billion ($16.87 million) from the country’s central bank.
Both the finance ministry and law enforcement agencies have confirmed the detentions, marking one of the most significant financial fraud cases in Uganda’s recent history. The scandal dates back to November 2024, when State Minister for Finance, Henry Musasizi, publicly acknowledged reports that the Bank of Uganda’s system had been breached, resulting in substantial losses.
At the time, details remained unclear, but as investigations progressed, authorities began making arrests. Among those detained is a senior official from the ministry’s Treasury department, alongside multiple officers from the accountant general’s office.
In an official statement, the finance ministry disclosed that these individuals had been summoned and placed under investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department. However, specific identities were not disclosed.
Police spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke later confirmed on NTV that a total of nine officials had been taken into custody, listing the names of those implicated, including a senior Treasury official. The accused have yet to comment publicly and remain unreachable for now.
According to reports from Uganda’s state-owned, New Vision newspaper, a hacking group known as Waste allegedly infiltrated the central bank’s IT infrastructure and orchestrated the unauthorized transfer of funds. The revelation has raised concerns about the security of the country’s financial systems, leaving many questioning how such a breach occurred under the watch of top financial authorities. Authorities continue their probe into the incident, with law enforcement and regulatory bodies working to uncover the full extent of the fraud and whether additional accomplices were involved.
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