PARLIAMENT: The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises-COSASE has ordered the arrest of two aides to Justine Bagyenda, the former Executive Director Supervision in Bank of Uganda in connection to missing documents.
They are Juliet Adikot, the personal body guard to Bagyenda and her driver, Job Turyahabwe. The duo was picked up for providing information to the COSASE sub-committee contradicting the one provided by the Director of Security BoU, Milton Opio on Bagyenda’s movements.
It all started when they told the sub-committee chaired by Uganda People Defense Forces (UPDF) representative Brig. Francis Takirwa that after ferrying bags from the Central Bank on Saturday February10th 2018, Bagyenda traveled abroad.
They reportedly picked her up from Entebbe International Airport on her return in March 2018 and drove to the Central Bank on Kampala Road.
However, details availed by Opio from the Central Bank’s vehicle tracking system, show that Bagyenda’s official Land Cruiser vehicle registration number UAR 192Y V8 left Mbuya for Entebbe International airport at 7:18 am on March 14th, 2018.
The system shows that the vehicle left the Airport at 12:03pm to Kiswa in Bugolobi where it was parked for 3 hours before heading to the Central Bank.
Adikot and Turyahebwa were captured on CCTV entering the building with two heavy bags through the emergency door that was already opened without going through security checks and. left with Bagyenda at 6:50pm.
The contradiction infuriated the COSASE Chairperson, Abdu Katuntu who accused Bagyenda’s aides of perjury. He immediately directed officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) attached to the committee to arrest the two for criminal investigations.
He asked police to present period reports to the committee on the matter. The Committee also handed over two security officers from the Central Bank including Beatrice Kyambadde and Charles Muhoro to the CID officers for alleged negligence when they failed to check the backs Bagyenda’s aides move out and back to the bank.
The BoU Deputy Governor, Louis Kasekende assured legislators that the Bank is taking the matter seriously and is to carry out parallel investigations to get to the bottom of the matter.
Rule 20.6.15 of the Bank of Uganda Security Policy states that all persons shall go through security screening without exception. While rule 20.6.16 states that all items brought into the bank shall go through security screening without exception.
Testimonies to COSASE Sub-Committee
However, in their testimony to the COSASE sub-committee chaired by Brig. Takirwa, Adikot and Turyahabwe said they didn’t know what they carried out of the Central Bank on behalf of Bagyenda.
“Adikot first carried a blue open kaveera, she said that she was more concerned with the security of the items and did not want to see what was inside. Also Turyahabwe said that he did not know what he carried,” Brig. Takirwa partly reported.
Takirwa pinned Adikot saying that she feigned knowledge of what was she moved out of the Bank yet she is seen on the CCTV carrying an open box with visible box files.
He further said that the other two security officers at the Central Bank, Beatrice Kyambadde and Charles Muhoro admitted to have allowed Bagyenda’s aides move out of the Bank premises with the bags without being checked but can’t tell what was taken out or returned later.
