Controversial presidential advisor on media affairs Tamale Mirundi has thrown a spanner in the works saying ‘mafia’ siphoned billions of cash from Crane Bank.
Bank of Uganda has dragged businessman Dr Sudhir Ruparelia to Commercial Court accusing him of embezzling shs 400bn from his defunct financial establishment.
The affluent business mogul is yet to file his defence through the finest lawyers in town.
Appearing on his weekly talk show on NBSTV, motor mouthed Mirundi scoffed at Bank of Uganda officials saying the more they witch-hunt Sudhir, the deeper they expose themselves.
He revealed that the same person who took money from Crane Bank is also responsible for the collapse of National Bank of Commerce (NBC).
A few years ago, the Central Bank Governor Emmanuel Mutebile shut the operations of NBC before selling its assets and liabilities to Crane Bank.
Last year in October Bank of Uganda took over Crane Bank and in January, it was sold to DFCU.
But to Mirundi, Sudhir is being a victim of a selfish clique of Ugandans who want to grab his property.
Asked why he consistently defends the country’s top tycoon, Mirundi responded that he knows how the mafia operate to frustrate the public for their selfish gains.
“I can never fall in their trap,” he said, adding: “someone else has taken the money from Crane Bank. I also pointed it out the other day on NBS TV that whoever took money from the National Bank of Commerce is the same who took from Crane Bank.”
The Crane Bank saga is likely to expose rot in the Central Bank.
A concerned citizen Derrick Nsereko through his lawyers Kashilingi and Rugaba Associates last week threatened to sue Bank of Uganda for neglecting Crane Bank before it was sold off
Bank of Uganda is mandated to supervise and issue audit queries to any commercial banks in Uganda.
One wonders why the head of commercial banks supervision at BoU Justine Bagyenda neglected Sudhir’s bank.
