By Andrew Irumba
The government of Uganda has through the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) instituted an investigation into allegations that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) are involving into acts of money laundering.
The FIA thus wants to examine bank statments, payrolls, modes of financial acquisition, operations and account balances of several NGOs and CSOs holding accounts with Equity Bank Limited.
According to a letter written to the Managing Ditector Equity Bank by FIA boss Sydney Asubo, government wants account details, financial operations and transactions of the following organisations:
Action Aid Uganda
Citizens Coalition Uganda
Alliance for Campaign Finance Monitoring
Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda
Human Rights Network Uganda
National Democratic Institute
Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies
Foundation for Human Rights Initiative
Democratic Governance Facility
Kick Corruption Out of Uganda
Africa Institute for Energy Governance
The letter is copied to Ms. Sarah Nakazzi, the Money Laundering Control Officer.
This however comes at the backdrop of Government’s push to amend laws governing the operations of NGOs in Uganda.
Last week government tabled a Bill to amend the CSOs and NGOs Act such that a noose can be tightened around these organisations who, according to government recieve ‘wrong’ money from external funders to distablize the ‘good’ environment NRM Gov’t has fought hard to creat since 1986.
However, political analysts contend that this is a move to target the NGOs ahead of the 2021 elections, whereby government suspects some funders of opposition key leaders could channel funds into subversive operations of some politicians through such NGOs.
It should be recalled that several NGOs in Kampala and other parts of Uganda were raided few years ago by security operatives, who seized files and computers, although they never made their investigations public.
In the same vein, some NGOs’ accounts were frozen for some time and only unfrozen after months of investigation by FIA.
