'Shs 15 billion goes missing from the account of Custodian Board'

Parliament has put Betty Kasimbazi, the former Under Secretary in the ministry of Finance, on the spot to explain how Shs 15 billion was withdrawn from the Custodian Board bank account without the instruments of power from the Accountant General.

MPs sitting on the Parliamentary Sub- Committee on Commissions, State Authorities and State Enterprises said the money was withdrawn from the collection account in Bank of Uganda.

The officials from the Ministry of Finance led by their boss Matia Kasaija spent part of the day before the Sub-Committee that is investigating the alleged illegal acquisition of departed Asian properties which were overseen by the Custodian Board.

During the meeting, the MPs found out that over Shs 15 billion had gone missing from one of the bank accounts of the Custodian board, a government entity that was mandated with the responsibility of running all properties of the departed Asians.

The committee members also got surprised to find out that the former Under Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Betty Kasimbazi was withdrawing funds from the said accounts even before she got authorisation from the Accountant general something that she failed to explain.

Even after handing over office, the evidence before legislators indicated that Kasimbazi was signing documents to withdraw some funds.

The committee also found out that over 150 properties belonging to the departed Asians were sold off as a result of political influence.