DTB Bank panics, boss who stole Shs 345 Million still missing

  • by Ignatius Liposhe
  • February 11, 2017
Ms. Kiguli

Struggling Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) are still pursing a case of fraud at the Malaba branch where the Branch Manager, Mrs. Regina Kiguli Ahumuza allegedly locked other staffers in a room and took off with Ushs 345 million.

A DTB insider tells TheUgandan that that the Bank has not given up on pursuing her with the Police so that she can face the gallows of the law.

Many banking institutions that are robbed tend to conceal details from the media fearing that it would ‘kill’ the general public’s trust.

Ms Kiguli’s heist

A month ago, Ms Kiguli left her handbag on her table l ocked all colleagues and her juniors in the banking hall before she made off with her ‘kill’ in a green polythene bag using a boda boda bike.

However, just minutes after leaving the Bank, she switched off her phone and picked a few items from her house before disappearing to unknown destination.

The officer in Charge at Malaba police station, Barnabas Tusingwire said they believed the culprit crossed to the neighbouring Kenya but her final destination is yet to be established.

Malaba Police then arrested, detained and questioned Peter Ddungu, 28, the Customer Service Supervisor and Christine Nabulime, 29, a teller, to help with the tender investigations.

Ddungu told police that it all started when he received a customer who wanted to withdraw UG13M. On consulting Regina he was informed that the Bank Coffers were empty. After about an hour, another client came to withdraw UG5M but again Ddungu received the same answer from his manager.

Concerned and confused in same measures, he reportedly sent an email to the headquarters and following the same, an investigation and audit team were immediately sent in from Kampala.

DTB Growth graph

DTB Bank Uganda was in 2016 among the local banks which were flagged as struggling and in need of recapitalisation by the financial sector regulator, Bank of Uganda. It had one of the highest number of NPLs (Non Performing Loans) in thousandfold.

In the new year, we reached out to the bank’s CEO John Chihi and their Public Relations agency, Mediage PR East Africa for comment, so far no word back.