Uganda's police have detained nine officials from the finance ministry on Tuesday as part of an investigation into a cyberattack on the central bank's electronic systems, which led to the theft of 62 billion shillings ($16.84 million).
The finance ministry and police confirmed the detentions, which include the senior-most official in the ministry’s Treasury department. According to a post on the finance ministry’s X account, officers from the accountant general's office were summoned by the Criminal Investigations Department to assist with the probe.
While the finance ministry did not disclose the names or exact number of those detained, police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke confirmed the detention of nine officials and named the top treasury official among them.
On Wednesday, local NTV television reported that police conducted searches at the residence of Mark Kasiku, an official from the Ministry of Finance, as well as at the home of Accountant General Lawrence Ssemakula. These actions are part of the ongoing investigation into the Bank of Uganda heist.