Zurah Nakabugo
26 October 2008
Kampala — Police have arrested a man who has allegedly been conniving with some Barclays Bank officials to withdraw clients' money sent through Western Money Union Transfer.
The suspect, Mr Hilary Mukwaya, alias Valantino Mokiwa, 24, is a resident of Mulago Upper Nsooba, a Kampala suburb. On October 1, according to police, Mr Mukwaya allegedly used forged identifications of one Valentino Mokiwa to withdraw Shs2.4 million from Barclays Bank, Entebbe Road branch. The money was sent through Western Union Money Transfer service to an undisclosed person.
Kampala Extra Police Spokesman Simeo Nsubuga said the suspect, last month, also forged an identity card of Nkumba University in the names of Mr Valentino Mokiwa and tried to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money from Barclays Bank but was identified by a teller.
"He (Mukwaya) has been conniving with bank officials mostly in Barclays Bank to steal people's money sent through Western Money Union transfer service," Mr Nsubuga said. Police said that they are now pursuing bankers who are suspected of being Mr Mukwaya's accomplices.
Mr Nsubuga said the suspected cashiers have been disclosing passwords of several recipients of money through Western Union to Mr Mukwaya. "When the intended recipients reveal the passwords to bank officials, they ask for unnecessary identification documents to delay the payments. When they turn up with the documents, the cashiers tell them that the money is already withdrawn, Mr Nsubuga said.
Police recovered several identity cards from Mr Mukwaya, which are suspected to belong to his victims. Mr Nsubuga said the suspected will be charged with theft, uttering false document, forgery and impersonation.
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