Tension is high in Ssembabule following the theft of shillings 600 million for the prosperity for all program from Taala Ya Mawogola Micro Finance. The money was allegedly stolen on Tuesday last week by Ibrahim Were, the manager of the Microfinance who is at large. Jude Kasekende, the LC 3 chairman of Ssembabule town council says that the 600 million shillings was injected in the SACCO by government over a period of two years.
He says that in addition to the money from government several people having saving their money with the microfinance.
He says that they discovered the theft of the money when they went to check on the treasury of the microfinance to asses its performance. Kasekende says that they found the treasury almost empty saying that all the money was withdrawn by Were.
Richard Byarugaba, accountant at the headquarters of Taala Ya Mawogola Microfinance in Mateete says that since the beginning of September no money has been withdrawn from the branch in Ssembabule. Byarugaba claims that he has also lost over 4million shillings he had banked with the micro finance. Resty Nanyonga, a customer with the microfinance claims that she deposited over 3 million shillings in saving with the microfinance.
Nanyonga wants police to arrest Byuma Ddezi, the Micro Finance General Secretary for failing to monitor the work of the microfinance yet he is also a signatory. She claims that it was incumbent upon Ddezi to monitor the safety of their deposits. She claims that Ddezi’s failure to report to the theft to police means that he could have been involved in the financial scandal. Gonzaga Yiga, head of Ssembabule Police Criminal Investigations Department says that they have mounted a search for Were.
He says police has deployed detective all over the country to hunt down Were to explain the whereabouts of the missing funds. Were disappeared after the board of Taala Ya Mawogola Micro Finance led by its chair Simeon Peter Ddungu discovered irregularities and ordered him to surrender keys to a new manager in May. Were requested for ample time to prepare himself so that he could hand over office and took advantage to flee an audit discovered the theft of shillings 600 million.
