MTN fraud case: Threeways Shipping Company Finance Chief arrested
Police in Kampala has arrested one of the suspects in the MTN-Three Ways Shipping Company which is still before the Commercial Division of the High Court. One Waswa Kafuko 49 years old who is the Uganda Chief Finance Officer with Three Ways Shipping Group was this week picked up from the Company offices by plain clothed detectives from the Chiefiency of Criminal Investigation Department (CIID).
Kafuko is one of the six people including two MTN staff who MTN Uganda recently sued for connivance and stealing USD 3,800,000 in a shady procurement deal.
Others still at large according to a Charge sheet Ref: E/242/2012 dated 26th May 2014 and signed by Mike Chibita the Director of Public Prosecution include; John Basobose a resident of Namulanda formerly employed by MTN Uganda, Naphtali Were also formerly of MTN Uganda and Oscar Batwa, Geoffrey Bihamaiso and Ssenkumba Faridah all of Threeways Shipping Company Uganda.
The fresh charges follow MTN’s loss in court of an earlier suit against Threeways regarding the alleged fraud. The loss in court was due to a technicality which court said it could not endorse by hearing the case.
Recently MTN logged a fresh court case against the four Threeways Shipping Company staff for allegedly making fictitious claims to MTN between March 2009 and April 2012 on over 130 invoices with collusion of the two MTN employees and were paid the colossal sums.
The Commercial Court has since issued notice to Threeways Shipping Services to file its defence within 15 days of the filing of the MTN case. If it fails, the court could decide the case it its absence.
The telecommunications company is seeking to recover the money with compounded interest from 2009 until payment in full plus damages.
In its plaint, MTN has also asked the bank to freeze Threeways’ bank accounts and also order those banks to pay it (MTN) from those accounts.
