Uganda’s police have detained nine finance ministry officials as part of an investigation into allegations of hacking the central bank’s electronic systems.
This cyberattack resulted in the theft of 62 billion shillings ($16.87 million), the ministry and police confirmed. The arrests highlight the severity of the breach and the commitment to uncovering the truth behind the incident.
Last November, the State Minister for Finance, Henry Musasizi confirmed reports in local media that the Bank of Uganda’s accounts had been hacked and money stolen. This announcement brought the cyberattack to public attention and initiated the ongoing investigation.
Uganda’s Finance Officials in Police Custody
The Ugandan finance officials detained include the senior most official of the ministry’s Treasury department, according to reports by the police and the finance ministry.
Some officers attached to the accountant general’s office at the ministry “were summoned and detained by the Criminal Investigations Department to facilitate conclusion of the investigations,” the finance ministry said in a post made to its X account on Tuesday, February 4 evening.
The ministry initially withheld the names and number of those detained.
Police Confirmation and Identification of Suspects
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke later told NTV television that nine officials had been detained and also read out their names, which included the top Treasury official. The official and the eight others arrested were not immediately reachable for comment.
State-owned New Vision newspaper reported that hackers, identifying themselves as “Waste”, accessed the Bank of Uganda’s IT systems and illicitly transferred the funds. This information gives an insight into a potential lead in identifying the perpetrators of the cyberattack and bringing them to book.
