KINSHASA PAYMENT SCAM EXPOSED: Fifteen Uganda Airlines transactions redirected through suspicious emails, raising questions over internal controls, impersonation and possible collusion

Uganda Airlines was hit by a suspected payment fraud in which $262,388.76 (Shs992m) meant for the Régie des Voies Aériennes (RVA), the Democratic Republic of Congo’s aviation authority, was allegedly diverted to a bank account in the United Kingdom.

The payments, covering navigation fees, passenger service charges and other operational levies, were made between 1 February and 9 March 2023.

According to information surrounding the case, a total of 15 transactions were redirected from the intended RVA accounts to a National Westminster Bank account in the UK.

The suspected fraud has since triggered investigations involving Uganda Airlines, the Uganda Police Force, Interpol and other authorities, but the matter remains unresolved more than two years after it was reported.

How the alleged scheme unfolded

The suspected fraud reportedly began with emails sent to Uganda Airlines finance staff in January 2023, purporting to originate from RVA’s Director Commercial.

On 25 January 2023, finance staff identified as Ruth and Peter allegedly received instructions through email to alter payment details for transactions destined for RVA.

The emails purportedly came from the address of RVA’s Director Commercial, [email protected], but also included suspicious Gmail addresses, among them [email protected] and [email protected].

RVA subsequently reportedly disowned the suspicious addresses, raising questions over whether its officials’ identities or email systems had been impersonated or compromised.

Following the instructions, Uganda Airlines made 15 payments between 1 February and 9 March 2023, totalling $262,388.76, to the UK bank account.

The transactions were subsequently flagged as fraudulent after the airline discovered that the money had not reached the intended recipient.

The circumstances have raised questions about how payment instructions were verified and whether adequate controls were in place before large sums of money were transferred.

Police case opened

The matter was formally reported to police at Entebbe Police Station on 23 May 2023.

Four days later, on 27 May 2023, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) reportedly issued a preliminary report confirming that the matter was being treated as suspected fraud.

Among those whose statements were reportedly taken were then Uganda Airlines chief executive officer Jennifer Bamuturaki, Financial Accountant Samuel Mayanja, Chief Financial Officer Andrew Ssekamwa and Finance Officer Peter Tusiime.

The investigation subsequently traced the diverted funds to a bank in the United Kingdom.

Uganda Airlines reportedly contacted the bank in an effort to have the money recovered or preserved while investigations continued. However, according to information contained in the case, the funds were eventually released despite the airline’s intervention.

The release of the money has raised further questions about the handling of the case and the efforts made to recover the funds.

Interpol identifies suspects

The case was subsequently brought to the attention of Interpol, which reportedly traced and identified individuals believed to be connected to the transactions.

However, investigators reportedly required additional documentation from Uganda before further action could be taken.

Among the documents requested were a formal statement from Uganda Airlines, a letter from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and documentation from the Auditor General confirming that Uganda Airlines is the legitimate owner or complainant in the case.

The request effectively placed the next stage of the investigation in the hands of Ugandan authorities.

However, the case has reportedly remained pending, with the failure to provide the requested documentation contributing to delays in prosecution.

Police investigations drag on

The Uganda Police Force initially took up the case, but progress has reportedly been slow.

The officer who was initially handling the investigation was transferred, creating another interruption in the process. There were also reported attempts to facilitate travel by police officers to the UK for further investigations.

Questions have, however, been raised about the necessity and timing of such travel, particularly given the reported communication from Interpol identifying suspects and requesting supporting documentation from Uganda.

Rather than completing the documentation and forwarding the case to the DPP for consideration, the investigation has reportedly continued to stall, with resource constraints and the need for further investigations cited as some of the reasons for the delay.

The prolonged impasse has left Uganda Airlines facing the prospect of losing more than a quarter of a million dollars while the identities of suspected perpetrators have reportedly already been established.

Where did the controls fail?

The case has exposed possible weaknesses in Uganda Airlines’ payment verification systems.

One of the key questions investigators may have to answer is why finance officials acted on emailed instructions to change payment details without obtaining independent confirmation from RVA through established communication channels.

Large international payments to government and aviation authorities ordinarily require robust verification procedures, particularly where bank-account details have changed.

The circumstances therefore raise the possibility of weaknesses in internal controls, rather than a single point of failure.

Several scenarios have emerged from the information surrounding the case.

First is negligence or failure to follow financial controls. Finance personnel may have processed payment instructions based primarily on email correspondence without independently verifying the changes with RVA. Some of the staff associated with the transactions have reportedly since been relieved of their duties.

Second is possible insider collusion. Investigators may need to establish whether individuals within RVA, Uganda Airlines or elsewhere knowingly facilitated the diversion of the funds. At this stage, however, there is no established finding that any particular individual was involved in collusion.

Third is cyber fraud or phishing. The use of apparently legitimate addresses alongside suspicious Gmail accounts raises the possibility that fraudsters impersonated RVA officials or compromised communication channels to manipulate payment instructions.

Fourth is a systemic weakness in payment controls. If payment details could be changed solely through email instructions, without a secondary verification mechanism, the airline may have been vulnerable to precisely this kind of fraud.

Fifth is the role of the receiving bank. Questions have also been raised over the circumstances under which the UK bank released the funds after Uganda Airlines reportedly raised concerns about the transactions.

These questions will ultimately require evidence and findings from the relevant investigative and prosecutorial authorities.

Concerns over wider Kinshasa aviation fraud

The Uganda Airlines case has also raised concerns about whether the airline was an isolated victim or whether the alleged fraud was part of a wider pattern.

There are reports suggesting that other airlines operating in Kinshasa may have encountered similar problems involving payments and aviation-related charges.

Ethiopian Airlines has also reportedly been mentioned in connection with allegations of fraud in the Kinshasa aviation environment.

If confirmed by investigators, such cases could point to a broader organised scheme targeting airlines through fraudulent payment instructions.

However, the existence and scope of any wider racket would need to be established through independent investigations rather than allegations alone.

Two years without resolution

More than two years after the suspected fraud occurred, Uganda Airlines is still waiting for closure.

The case illustrates the challenges involved in investigating cross-border financial crimes, particularly where money is transferred through international banking systems and suspected perpetrators are located outside Uganda.

But the prolonged delay also raises questions about institutional coordination. With Interpol reportedly having identified suspects and requested specific supporting documents, the focus is now on whether Ugandan authorities can complete the outstanding requirements and move the case to the prosecution stage.

For Uganda Airlines, the stakes are significant. Beyond the direct financial loss of $262,388.76, the case exposes the airline to reputational risks and raises concerns about the strength of its financial controls.

The suspected fraud also offers an important lesson for institutions handling international payments: email instructions, however authentic they may appear, should never be sufficient on their own to authorise changes to bank-account details.

Independent verification, segregation of duties and robust approval procedures are critical safeguards against increasingly sophisticated financial fraud.

Ultimately, the responsibility now lies with investigators and prosecutors to establish exactly how the money was diverted, who was responsible, whether anyone inside or outside the affected institutions facilitated the transactions, and whether the funds can still be recovered.

Until those questions are conclusively answered, the $262,388.76 Uganda Airlines payment fraud remains an unresolved chapter in the airline’s financial and operational history.

Author Profile

Stephen Kasozi Muwambi: Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]