Arua, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Arua Central Police Station is currently detaining five employees of Post Bank on alleged theft of Shillings 138,685,450 million.
Among the implicated suspects in the heist are; Leonard Lakwey, the Operations Manager, Walter Feni, the Customer Service Officer, and banking officers Resty Lunkuse, David Tenywa, and Brian Olara Okidi, all stationed at the Post Bank – Arua Branch.
The arrest occurred upon the suspects’ return to Arua from Post Bank’s Head Office in Kampala, where they had attended a disciplinary session last week regarding the same incident.
Initial reports suggest that the cash went missing during transit from the Post Bank – Arua Branch, situated along Avenue Road in Arua City, to Yumbe District, an allegation the bank has since denied.
It is an open secret that banks typically maintain secrecy regarding internal fraud incidents as divulging such information can tarnish their reputation and undermine the trust of their customers.
Josephine Angucia, the West Nile region Police spokesperson, confirmed the arrests and revealed that the case came to the limelight on December 30, 2023.
Officials from Post Bank’s Head Office in Kampala had conducted an end-of-year audit at the Post Bank – Arua Branch, discovering a discrepancy of Shs 138,685,450 million Shillings. The matter was subsequently reported to the police on February 5, 2024, and a General Enquiry File (GEF) number 21/2024 was opened.
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Angucia stated that the suspects are currently facing charges related to theft of money Vide CRB 180/2024, pending guidance from the Resident State Attorney.
In a statement released on Sunday 3, March 2024, the police disclosed that the Branch Manager and Branch Operations Supervisor of Post Bank Arua, who are still at large, managed to evade arrest by not attending the disciplinary session at the Head Office.
This incident is not the first time that Post Bank, a government-owned financial institution, has grappled with such challenges of money heist.
In 2019, the bank faced accusations of fraud totaling about 4 billion Shillings against seven former top Managers. However, the court later acquitted them of the charges.
Also, the new developments come at a time when Post Bank is facing backlash from Ugandans for initiating an allegedly ineffective application, App-Wendi, designed to manage PDM cash disbursements to Ugandans.
