Three arrested for stealing telecom equipment worth billions, causing MTN financial loss

Police have arrested three people and opened investigations into a racket for theft, fraud, and malicious vandalism of telecom equipment.

Those arrested are staff contracted by MUBs through Chinese Telecom equipment maker ZTE, a maintenance contractor of MTN over the years, who were trading in internet cable equipment.

It is reported that MTN has been losing working materials such as optic fiber cables, PVC ducts /pipes, and other related telecom accessories to workers who sell their equipment on the black market and below the market rates.

The conduct causes losses to Uganda's leading telecom firm and passes the burden to the consumer who inadvertently pays for the services. The erroneous act has been going on for about three years.

The stolen materials are estimated to be worth billions of shillings.

Senior officials at ZTE have also been implicated in the scam, and some sacked while others are being investigated.

Among the senior ZTE officials implicated in this mega scam is a one optimization Engineer in the name of Hillary Imalingati who has since been laid off from his duties and is being investigated.

Others include the head technical team Engineer Muwanga Paul who has since recorded his statement at the police Special Investigations Directorate at Kireka after one of his accomplices was tricked by the client (MTN) in a mega wrecked material supply deal of Shs132 million in the names of Lubega Jimmy who has since appeared before Nakawa Magistrates court.

However, ZTE management says the arrested suspects are outsourced workers.

Engineer Wilford Arigye said the company contracted MUBs to supply them with these workers.

The case under investigation is registered under police reference GEF 141/2021 at SID Kireka.