Government through the Financial Intelligence Authority(FIA) has unfrozen the accounts of two Non -Government Organisations(NGOs) who had been accused of terrorism financing.
In December last year government ordered the freezing of bank accounts of at least four Civil Society Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) over what was termed as “terrorism financing activities”.
However, in a February, 19, 2021 letter by the FIA Executive Director, Sydney Asubo to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the government has decided to revoke its earlier decision.
“The purpose of this communication is to inform you that the Financial Intelligence Authority has revoked its directive to freeze funds on bank accounts of the Uganda National NGO Forum and the Uganda Women’s Network(UWONET) held in different banks in the country,”Asubo said in the letter.
The letter has also been copied to the lawyers for the banks in which the two NGOs hold accounts that had been frozen.
Following the freezing of the accounts for the NGOs, it was said by experts that the move was aimed at cracking the whip of NGOs and Civil Society Organisations critical of government and governance issues in the country since it was a few weeks to the January,14 polls.
Earlier this year, the NGOs pleaded with government to clear their bank accounts to enable them resume work.
Moses Isooba the Executive Director of NGO Forum said the failure to access finances on the accounts had crippled their activities.
