In the quiet corridors of justice at the KCCA Labour dispute remediation proceedings between the implicated Staff and Centenary Bank, a chilling narrative of corporate betrayal has emerged. What began as an investigation into a 1.95 billion UGX fraud of August 2024 at Centenary Bank’s Kawempe-Bwaise branch has unravelled into a masterclass in institutional “scapegoating,” where forensic evidence appears to have been traded for convenient fictions.
The “Rogue” Raspberry Pi: Internet Fiction vs. Forensic Fact:
One of the most startling revelations involves the alleged “smoking gun”—a Raspberry Pi device supposedly used by fraudsters to infiltrate the Bank’s Network. When pressed hard for the origin of this critical evidence, the Bank’s internal Investigator, Mr. Nsereko Moses, made a staggering admission: the photo of the device in his Report was simply plucked from the internet.
While the hired external Forensic Expert for QA Consults Ltd upon being grilled, claimed the device was provided by an “undisclosed Client,” the physical reality at the branch told a different story. The network switch, where such a device would theoretically be planted, was confirmed to be unpowered and unmanned seen from the appeals response from the Managing Director Mr. Fabian Kasi to one of the unlawfully dismissed IT Officer. Despite this physical impossibility, the Bank used this “phantom device” as the primary basis to dismiss IT officers, effectively branding them as digital saboteurs without a shred of localized evidence.
Timing the impossible: Midnight Heists and Mapeera roots:
The Forensic investigation Report seen by this Publication, paints a cinematic picture of a Fraudster working tirelessly through the night of July 31, 2024, from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM in the morning of August 1, 2024. However, the Bank’s internal Investigator’s own testimony collapsed the logic of his findings:
Presence: When asked if the implicated officers were physically in the Bank during those hours, he replied affirmatively, “NO.”
Access: When asked if they could have accessed the systems remotely from home, he again replied with vigor, “NO.”
Even more preposterous is the geographic shift of the actual crime. While the blame was pinned on the Kawempe-Bwaise branch Staff, evidence suggests the fraud actually originated from Mapeera Standard Branch, situated at Mapeera House -the Bank’s own Headquarters.
The Investigation before the Statement:
In a move that defies standard legal and investigative protocols, the final Forensic investigation Report was released in September 2024. Yet, the statements from the two implicated loans Officers were not taken until January 2025 (4 months after the Fraud had occurred).
The Bank essentially reached a Verdict before hearing the defense, and once the statements were finally recorded, the “final” Report remained unadjusted. This suggests the investigation was not a search for truth, but a predetermined and premeditated path toward a convenient conclusion.
”Suicidal” Secrets and promoted Tellers:
The eastafricanwatch.net has established that -the most telling moment of the proceedings occurred when the Bank’s internal Investigator Mr. Nsereko Moses was asked why he withheld the forensic Report from the accused Officers. His response? “It was suicidal.” This admission points to a deliberate shielding of information to prevent the implicated Staff from mounting an effective defense. While innocent IT and Loans Staff were being purged to “clean the books,” the Tellers whose credentials were used in the heist found themselves in a curious position: they weren’t just exonerated but they were promoted to new roles like the case of Mrs. Nakimuli Nicola in the 3.56 billion fraud of October 2023 who was promoted and subsequently transferred from Mapeera Standard Branch to Retail and Micro Finance Division at the Bank’s Headquarters. More shocking is, when asked why he didn’t include the statement of the affected Teller, “Winnie Mirembe Nalubowa” in the Forensic Report, Mr. Nsereko Moses the Bank’s internal Investigations Manager admitted to the fact, that it was not so necessary to be included yet she was exonerated from the case.
The picture emerging from the KCCA proceedings is one of an institution protecting its “Top Brass” at the expense of its Foot Soldiers. By hoodwinking the Human Resources Division with fabricated forensic “internet photos” and ignoring the logistical impossibility of the suspects’ involvement, Centenary Bank did more than just commit a labour injustice but exposed a deep-seated rot where the pursuit of a scapegoat replaced the pursuit of the Thieves.
As the proceedings continue, one question remains: If the “Rogue Device” was a download and the “suspects” were at home, who really benefitted from the illegal proceeds of 1.95 billion shillings? We will keep watching and updating the Public as more details emerge.
The bank could not be reached for comment on the above case. Efforts made by our reporter to reach the communication department and the hired public relations firms were fruitless.
