The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has revealed that there’s an ongoing scam by a group of fraudsters claiming to be mobilising financial support to bail out the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) Commander Maj Gen Abel Kandiho who was recently slapped with financial sanctions by the government of the United States of America.
The army Spokesperson Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso says so far two such cases have been registered and are under forensic investigations.
“The two fraudsters have allegedly obtained money by false pretences from unsuspecting friends of Maj Gen Abel Kandiho and members of the public,” Brig Byekwaso said in a statement dated 4th January, 2022.
“The public is hereby put on urgent notice of this fraud/scam and encouraged to report any further attempts by the said scammers/fraudsters to security or law enforcement agencies as soon as they suspect any.”
In December last year, the US imposed financial sanctions on Gen Kandiho, accusing him of being connected to serious human rights abuses and repressive acts.
However, Gen Kandiho said he was not bothered by the financial sanctions that were imposed on him by the government of the United States of America.
He said the sanctions were politically motivated and inconsequential.
“I am not bothered by the so called sanctions. I have no business with the US. It is political. They should just be careful not to create unnecessary enemies and losing allies,” Gen Kandiho told Daily Monitor newspaper.
In an action marking the week of the U.S. Summit for Democracy, the Treasury Department said in a statement it was targeting repression and the undermining of democracy, designating individuals and entities tied to the violent suppression of civilians.
“Treasury will continue to defend against authoritarianism, promoting accountability for violent repression of people seeking to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in the statement.
The action freezes any U.S. assets of those blacklisted and generally bars Americans from dealing with the sanctioned figures.
Gen Kandiho, was hit with sanctions over alleged human rights abuses committed under his watch.
“As commander of the Ugandan Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), Major General Abel Kandiho (Kandiho) and other CMI officers have arrested, detained, and physically abused persons in Uganda. The CMI targeted individuals due to their nationality, political views, or critique of the Ugandan government,” Gacki noted.
” Individuals were taken into custody and held, often without legal proceedings, at CMI detention facilities where they were subjected to horrific beatings and other egregious acts by CMI officials, including sexual abuse and electrocutions, often resulting in significant long-term injury and even death. During these incarcerations, victims were kept in solitary confinement and unable to contact friends, family, or legal support. In some cases, Kandiho was personally involved, leading interrogations of detained individuals,”he added.
Gen Kandiho joined a growing list of Ugandan security chiefs such as former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gen Kale Kayihura to be sanctioned by the USA.
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